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REX'S  ADVENTURES 

AMONG  THE   OLYMPICS 


A    THRILLING     TREASURE    HUNT 


BY 

H.  A.   STANLEY 


ILLUSTRATED 


*He  loved  exeitement  and  adventure.'''' 

— Macaiday. 


CHICAGO 

Laird  &  Lek,  Publishers 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  ] 
By  William  H.  Lee, 
in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 


[all    rights    reserved.] 


Copyright,  1903,  by  William  H.  Lee 


: 


JDeMcation. 

TO  THE  MOTHERS  OF  OUR  LAND, 

WHO    ARE    WHAT    THE    MOTHER    OF    MY    SONS    IS; 

TO  THE  SONS, 

WHO    ARE    AS    MANLY,     SELF-RELIANT    AND    MOTHER-LOV- 
ING   AS    I    HOPE    MY  BOYS  WILL   EVER  BE,    THIS  PLAIN 
STORY    IS    REVERENTLY    AND     AFFECTIONATELY 
DEDICATED.     THAT  IT  MAY  MAKE  STRONGER. 
THE     BOND     OF     AFFECTION     AND    RE- 
SPECT,    BETWEEN      MOTHER     AND 
SON      EVERYWHERE,     IS      THE 
DESIRE     AND     AIM     OF 

THE  AUTHOR. 


JV661549 


CHAPTERS 

PAGE 

I. — From   Frost  to  Flowers— The  Waylands  and 

a  Webfoot 9 

II. — A  Motley  Throng — Strange  Scenes  in  Storm 

and  Sunshine 16 

III. — The  Waylands'  New  Home— An  Honest  Swede     23 
IV. — Sports  on  Puget  Sound— Wicked  Butchery  of 

Salmon 30 

V. — Ichabod  Benjamin    Franklin   Estus— A  True 

Sportsman 37 

VI. — The  Princess  Angeline  Receives  Guests 45 

VII. — The  Princess  Sees  a  Vision  and  is  Greatly 

Shocked 51 

VIII. — Wonderful  "Old  Man  House" — Siwash  His- 
tory, Religion  and  Superstition 56 

IX. — The  Princess  in  a  Trance — A  Weird  Potlatch 

or  Feast  Song — Astonishing  Revelations..     65 

X.— Uncle  Festus  Tells  What  They  Mean 73 

XL— A  Beautiful  Night— Rex  Has  Strange  Dreams    80 
XII.— "  The  Book  !    The  Book !    The  Spanish  Diary 

Is  Mine." 84 

XIII.— Uncle  Festus  Says:   "  Return  the  Book." 91 

XIV.— Colonel  Wayland's  Sudden  Death  Shocks  All..  103 
XV. — Rex  Fails  to  Find  Employment — Uncle  Festus 

to  the  Rescue 113 

XVI.— Seabeck's  Busted  Boom— Some  True  Cougar 

Yarns 120 

5 


CHAPTERS 

PAGE 

XVII. — Rex   Secures    Some    Domestic    Help— Uncle 

Festus   Surprised 130 

XVIII. — A  Model  Logging  Camp  Described 139 

XIX. — How  They  Log  in  Washington — "Uncle,  Ange- 

line's  Dead." 146 

XX. — Rex  Secures  the  Diary — Thrilling  Adventure 

with  a  Cougar 155 

XXI. — Studying  Spanish  and  the  Olympics 165 

XXII. — Diary  of  Andres  Tenorio— Some  New  Light 

on  Spanish  and  Indian  History 171 

XXIII.— The  Spanish  Diary  Continued— Death  of  Dis- 
coverer Perez — Horrible  Human  Sacrifice  186 
XXIV. — The  Diary  Discussed— Interesting  History — 

"I'm  Going  to  Find  That  Treasure." 203 

XXV. — Peroux  and  Perry,  Two  Typical  Mountaineers  210 
XXVI. — Packing  in  the   Mountains — Perry   Prods  a 

Tenderfoot 221 

XXVII.— After     Elk     Above     the     Clouds— Peroux's 

Wonderful  Nerve — Rex  Gets  an  Elk 230 

XXVIII.— Another   Hunt  and   a   Bear— Terrific   Battle 

with  an  Elk 244 

XXIX. — Elias  Parmle,  Prospector — Astonishing  Story 

of  Big  Elk  Horns 259 

XXX.—  Climbing  Toward  Mount  Olympus—' '  Can  You 
Sleep  Standing  Up  ?" — Snow  Slides  and 

Floods 271 

XXXI. — Snowed  In— Comfort  in  a  Log  Box — "Do  you 

See  the  Pass?" 282 

XXXII. — A  Perilous  March — Double  Grave  in  the  Snow 

— The  Pass  at  Last 292 

XXXIII.— On  Pisgah's  Lofty  Height — A  Canaan  Among 

Snow  Peaks 299 


CHAPTERS  7 

PAGE 

XXXIV.— Rock  of  Ages,  The  Bottomless  Pit  and  Other 

Weird  Wonders — Rex  Disappears ,  307 

XXXV. — Tumbling  into  an  Important  Discovery — Pros- 
pecting about  the  Crater 316 

XXXVI.— The    Crater    Dynamited— A   Grand   Sight— 

Elias  Thinks  Rex  Crazy 325 

XXXVII.— A  Lucky  Day— Both  Treasure  and  Elk  Horns 

— Elias   Displays  Horse  Sense 336 

XXXVIII.— A  Boy,  a  Man  and  a  Bald-face  Bear— Bruin 

Sustains  the  Reputation  of  His  Tribe 349 

XXXIX. — Elias  Departs  and  Rex  is  Hunted  by  Wolves 

— A  Hair-Raising  Experience 360 

XL.— And  Now  for  the  Coast— A  Trip  that  Tries 

Men's  Souls 374 

XLL— A  Mother's  Anxiety— Home  at   Last— Divi- 
sion of  the  Spanish  Treasure 386 


REX'S  ADVENTURES  AMONG 
THE   OLYMPICS 


CHAPTER  I 


FROM  FROST  TO  FLOWERS THE  WAYLANDS 

AND    A    WEB-FOOT 

"Hi,  dere!  You  boy  Rex!  Wake  up!  Ye r  f adder 
— de  Kunnel — done  sent  me  back  ter  rout  you  out  o' 
dis.  He  nearly  ready  fer  his  breakfuss.  Mus'  be 
you  done  f ergot  'bout  de  green  grass  in  de  winter 
time  you  was  a-gwine  ter  see  when  we  got  down 
dis  side  o'  de  Cascades.  Hear  me  now?  Start 
yose'f!     We  be  at  Puyallup  'fore  ye  know  it." 

Rex  opened  his  eyes  with  a  start  and  was  at  once 
wide-awake.  Eagerly  he  pulled  the  curtains  aside 
from  the  window  of  his  berth  and  beheld,  in  the  gray, 
smoky  light,  green  patches  of  grass  flitting  by,  as  the 
heavy  Northern  Pacific  Overland  pursued  its  flight 
down  grade  toward  Puget  Sound.  The  sight  was  a 
novel  one,  for  in  all  his  fifteen  years  he  had  never  be- 
fore seen  green  fields  on  New  Year's  morning.  "And 
so  far  north,  too, ' '  he  thought,  as  he  groped  about 
for  his  clothes, 

9 


io  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

J'A  happy  New  Year,  mother!"  he  sang  out,  as 
Mrs.  Wayland  emerged  from  the  ladies'  toilet  room, 
where  she  had  combed  her  hair  as  carefully  as  when 
at  home. 

"Thank  you,  Rex;  and  may  it  be  a  happy  one  for 
you,  too.      Have  you  looked  out  this  morning?" 

"Oh,  yes,  mother.  I  took  a  peep  before  I  com- 
menced dressing.  The  fields  are  green — just  as: 
the*porter  said  they  would  be,  aren't  they?  How 
wonderful,  and  we  six  hundred  miles  farther  north 
than  at  home!  I  thought  last  night  when  he  was 
telling  us,  he  was  fooling — we've  been  joking  him, 
you  know,  all  the  way  from  St.  Paul  west;  and 
once  in  the  night,  about  one  o'clock,  I  think,  I 
awoke  and  looked  out  to  see  from  six  to  eight  feet 
of  snow.  " 

"Yes,  and  so  did  I.  I  saw  snow  as  late  as  2  130  this 
morning,  but  I  knew  that  when  we  got  down  out  of 
the  mountains  there  would  be  much  less  of  it.  I 
confess  I  had  doubts  of  Caesar's  story,  that  only 
once  in  the  five  years  he  has  run  over  this  road  has 
he  seen  snow  within  fifteen  miles  of  the  Sound. 
The  Japan  current  must  have  more  influence  on 
this  Sound  country  than  people  east  generally  sus- 
pect. But  hurry  up,  Rex,  and  get  ready  for  break- 
fast. We  change  cars  at  Puyallup  in  forty  minutes. 
This  train  goes  from  there  on  to  Tacoma  and  Port- 
land." 

While  at  breakfast,  the  Colonel,  Mrs.  Wayland 
and  Rex  could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes,  for, 
instead  of  the  snow  that  surrounded  them  at  night- 
fall, they  now  saw  the  greenest  of  fields  and  swept 


FROM  FROST  TO  FLOWERS  1 1 

past  bright  glancing  waters.  Breakfast  over,  they 
began  hastily  to  gather  up  the  small  belongings 
that  had  served  to  while  away  the  hours  of  the  long 
cold  journey  westward,  over  the  frozen  plains  of 
North  Dakota,  Montana,  Idaho,  and  eastern  Wash- 
ington. As  they  stepped  out  on  the  long  plat- 
form at  Puyallup,  to  await  the  train  north  for 
Seattle,  they  were  even  more  greatly  surprised  at 
the  balmy  air  and  apparent  springtime  all  about 
them.  Roses  bloomed  in  a  little  garden  over  across 
the  way,  the  station  hands  were  working  about  in 
their  shirt  sleeves,  and  it  seemed  much  like  a  rainy 
June  morning  in  New  York.  As  they  boarded 
the^train  for  the  thirty-one  mile  run  down  to  Seattle, 
they  struck  up  a  conversation  with  an  old  gentleman 
in  the  next  seat,  who  seemed  only  too  happy  to  talk 
about  the  country.  He  was  apparently  in  love  with 
it,  and  warmed  up  as  he  proceeded. 

"Yes,  the  Sound  country's  a  leetle  wet.  In  fact, 
the  folks  over  east  of  the  mountains  call  us  web-feet 
over  here,  but  we  don't  mind  that.  We  jest  paddle 
'round,  contented  as  ye  please.  Now,  this  'ere  is 
one  of  our  nice  winter  mornin's.  It  don't  happen  to 
rain,  but  I  persoom  'twill  'fore  night.  Ye  ain't  seen 
Rainier  yet,  have  ye?" 

"Rain  here  ?"  said  Mrs.  Way  land,  innocently, 
"Why  no.  We've  but  just  come  and  it  hasn't 
rained — " 

"He  means  Mount  Rainier,  mother,"  broke  in 
Rex,  who  was  quite  tickled  by  his  mother's  blunder. 

"Yes,  ma'am.  I  mean  our  big  mountain  over  to 
the    south.     It's   the    highest   peak   in  this  region, 


A  FIRST  VIEW  OF  MT.  RAINIER. 

13 


PROM  FROST  TO  FLOWERS  13 

being  14,444  feet.  The  next  curve  we  make  you 
just  look  out,  and  I  think  you  kin  ketch  a  glimpse  of 
it.  The  air  is  purty  clear  this  mornin',  although  it 
may  not  be  twenty  minutes  from  now." 

As  he  spoke,  a  curve  was  rounded,  and  to  the 
southeast,  apparently  three  or  four  miles  distant, 
the  Wayland  family  first  beheld  that  immense  dome 
of  ice  and  snow  they  were  later  to  see  so  many  times 
and  never  find  twice  the  same.  As  they  looked,  that 
morning,  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  were  gilding 
its  alabaster  sides,  changing  them  in  places  from 
pure  white  to  pink  and  green.  The  view  was  only 
fleeting,  but  all  drew  a  long  breath  of  wonder  as  the 
train,  again  taking  the  straight  line,  shut  off  this 
grand  sight. 

"Wasn't  that  glorious? — and  so  near!"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Wayland. 

"Not  so  very  near,  ma'am.  That  mountain  is 
nearly  sixty  miles  away.  There  are  mornings  in 
spring  when  it  looks  even  nearer.  I  saw  a  bank  of 
clounds  coming  up  just  then,  and,  I  persoom,  in  half 
an  hour  you  won't  see  it  at  all. " 

The  train  was  now  rapidly  nearing  Seattle,  and 
the  blue  waters  of  the  great  Sound  stretched  away 
to  the  left.  The  Wayland  family  were  charmed  by 
the  novel,  yet  familiar  expanse,  for  though  living  all 
their  lives  in  an  inland  town,  they  had  occasionally 
journeyed  to  the  sea-shore,  and  had  learned  to  love 
the  changing  views  the  sea  affords.  As  they  ran  out 
past  the  mouth  of  the  Duwamish  River  and  abreast 
of  Duwamish  Head,  the  broad  expanse  of  not  only 
Elliott  Bay,  but  the  main  roadstead,  stretched  away 


14  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

to  the  west,  the  waters  suggesting  bronze,  so 
smooth  and  unruffled  were  they.  Nearer  in,  several 
steamers  ploughed  their  way,  while  out  toward  the 
main  Sound  two  or  three  sailing-vessels,  every  stitch 
of  canvas  set,  were  striving  to  beat  in  against  the 
light  shore  breeze  which  invariably  blows  clear 
night  and  morning.  Fourteen  or  fifteen  miles  to  the 
westward  was  seen  a  vast  black  cloud,  like  the  smoke 
of  some  great  conflagration,  and  this,  their  new  friend 
informed  them,  rose  from  the  fires  of  the  Blakely  Mill, 
the  largest  lumber  mill  in  the  world.  "It  is  on 
Bainbridge  Island,"  he  pursued,  "and  its  fires  never 
die  out.  It  runs  night  and  day.  That  point  of  land 
to  the  left  there,  coming  out  around  Duwamish 
Head,  is  Vashon  Island.  Hello!  There's  a  squall 
blowin'  up  from  the  sou 'west,  rollin'  right  up  acrost 
Vashon  and  in  toward  Magnolia  Head.  Now  watch 
them  fellows  take  in  sail. ' ' 

He  was  right.  A  squall  was  coming,  swifter  in  its 
flight  than  even  their  train,  and  already  the  white 
caps  began  to  appear,  while  a  rapidly  approaching 
circle  of  blackness  preceded  them,  along  the  erstwhile 
quiet  bosom  of  the  great  bay.  In  a  breath  the  scene 
had  changed.  The  sailboats,  but  a  few  seconds  before 
so  erect  and  stately,  were  now  bent  far  forward,  while 
their  crews  hastily  took  in  canvas,  and  prepared  to  run 
before  the  blast.  Those  nearest  Duwamish  Head 
took  the  wind  right  abeam,  and  rounding  the  head 
were  soon  safe  in  Seattle  Harbor,  while  others  farther 
out  scudded  away  up  the  sound,  beyond  Magnolia 
Bluff,  Four  Mile  Rock,  and  so  on  behind  West 
Point. 


FROM  FROST  TO  FLOWERS  15 

"Mighty  ketchy  weather  here  in  winter,"  re- 
marked the  self-styled  web-foot,  as  the  train  rolled 
into  the  station,  "and  as  that  squall  hes  brought  my 
rain,  ye  may  as  well  hist  yer  umberell,  fer  here's 
Seattle,  where  we  git  out." 


CHAPTER   II 

A    MOTLEY    THRONG — STRANGE     SCENES    IN     STORM    AND 
SUNSHINE 

Everybody  in  Seattle  seemed  prepared  for  the 
rain.  Mackintoshes  were  more  in  evidence  than 
umbrellas,  and  old  and  young  wore  not  only  these, 
but  rubber  boots  and  overshoes.  There  was  one 
exception  —  the  logger,  who  strolled  about  the 
wharves  in  picturesque  flannel  blouse  and  leather 
boots  with  enormously  thick  soles.  These  soles  were 
either  hob-nailed  or  calked  with  sharp  steel  spikes 
from  half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length,  that 
the  wearer  might  more  easily  maintain  his  footing 
on  slippery  logs,  afloat  or  ashore.  The  legs  of  these 
boots,  soft  and  pliable,  were  laced  in  front  from 
instep  to  knee,  and  half-way  down  at  the  back  and  on 
either  side.  A  motley  group  it  was  that  stood  about  the 
station  and  wharves  of  Seattle — a  group  the  like  of 
which  can  be  found  nowhere  else  in  the  world.  The 
ubiquitous  hackman,  bawling  loudly;  the  soberly- 
clad  immigration  agent;  the  smartly-dressed  real 
estate  boomer,  from  under  whose  elegant  cape- 
mackintosh  flashed  diamonds  of  the  first  water;  the 
phlegmatic,  white-haired  Swede;  the  sandy  Nor- 
wegian; the  Maine  man,  or  down  easter,  who  takes, 
quite  naturally  to  logging;  the  Chinaman  whose 
long  cue  is  coiled  up  under  a  sou'wester  and  over 
whose   flowing   garments   hangs   a   rubber   coat,   a 


A  MOTLEY  THRONG  I? 

mackintosh  or  a  slicker;  the  alert  little  Jap  in  natty 
business  suit,  standing  as  expectant  as  a  terrier  at  a 
rat-hole;  the  fashionably  attired  lady  or  gentleman, 
jostled  by  the  shivering  Kanaka;  the  Italian  salmon 
fisherman,  who,  standing  with  folded  arms,  flashes 
his  glittering  black  eyes,  or  his  gleaming  teeth,  at 
some  fellow  countryman  among  the  new-comers. 
And  last  but  not  least,  the  flat-nosed,  broad- 
mouthed,  thick-lipped  Siwash,  who  stolidly  views 
all  new-comers  as  if  unaware  that  they  are  eventually 
to  drive  him  from  his  beloved  beach,  ''spouting" 
clam    and  "logy"  dog-salmon. 

Yes;  it  would  be  indeed  difficult  to  find  any- 
where in  the  world  such  a  mixed  crowd  as  is  always 
to  be  seen  on  the  wharves  over  which  all  railways 
run  their  trains  on  entering  or  leaving  Seattle. 
Though  a  city  of  75,000  population,  there  is  here 
wharf-room  for  a  city  of  half  a  million,  and  being 
built  of  wood  on  piles,  these  wharves  seem  almost 
unsafe.  They  are  occupied  not  only  by  "wharfingers" 
and  seamen,  but  by  boat-builders,  mill-owners, 
shops,  stores  and  even  residences.  The  wealth  of 
the  fish  display  is  something  remarkable,  even  at 
the  holiday  season.  Open  canneries  and  packing 
houses  put  up  tons  and  tons  of  salmon  and  other  fish. 
On  all  sides  are  booths  and  stalls  for  the  sale  of 
smelt,  cod,  mackerel  and  almost  every  other  variety 
of  fish,  there  being  ninety-five  varieties  of  food  fish 
in  Puget  Sound  alone.  Here  is  a  game  market  in 
which  is  offered  for  sale  every  variety  of  duck,  goose, 
partridge,  grouse,  quail,  deer,  bear,  mountain  goat, 
sheep,  and  others  of  the  innumerable  bird  and  beast 


i8  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

tribes  of  this  wonderful  region.  Everything  in  the 
line  of  fruit  or  vegetables  from  both  temperate  and 
tropical  zones  is  here  displayed  or  seen  in  transit. 
Gunny-sacks,  baskets,  bales  and  hampers,  largely 
take  the  place  of  boxes  and  barrels  used  in  other 
portions  of  the  world.  One  of  the  striking  sights  of 
these  wharves  is  the  immense  sticks  of  timber  ready 
for  shipment,  some  of  them  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  and  squaring 
from  two  to  three  feet.  Great  square  piles  of  cedar 
shingles  in  bunches  are  also  ranged  beside  larger 
lumber  piles.  In  short,  there  is  always  a  wealth  of 
remarkable  objects  on  these  wharves,  and  such  novel 
sights  were  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  Waylands,  who, 
like  the  majority  of  the  people  of  the  Union,  had 
never  before  visited  this  corner  of  Uncle  Sam's  do- 
mains. Astonished  and  pleased  as  they  were  by  the 
bustle  of  business  on  all  sides,  they  could  not  but  note 
the  cheap  character  of  the  wharves  and  adjacent 
buildings,  and  were  conscious  of  dissatisfaction  at 
the  crude  appearance  of  everything  as  compared  with 
cities  of  their  older  coast. 

"What  d'ye  think  of  it?"  was  the  query  of  the  old 
gentleman  who  volunteered  to  show  Rex  and  his 
mother  about  a  bit,  while  the  Colonel  looked  after 
the  baggage.  Rex  said  nothing,  but  his  mother, 
with  an  evident  desire  to  please  the  kind  old  man, 
returned: 

"Why,  I  presume  the  rain  renders  everything 
more  forlorn  than  it  otherwise  would  be,  but  it  all 
looks  so  new  and  rough  to  us." 

"That's  what  everybody  says,   ma'am,   an'  it  is 


A  MOTLEY  THRONG  19 

new  an'  rough,  but  if  people  will  congregate  in  such 
numbers  and  do  so  much  business  in  such  surround- 
in'  s,  it  proves  this  must  be  a  nateral  center  an'  a 
productive  one  as  well,  don't  it?"  Mrs.  Way  land 
assented,  and  he  went  on:  "When  ye  climb  the  hill 
yonder,  on  some  o'  these  street  cars,  ye'll  see  a  city 
a-stretchin'  away  on  all  sides,  nine  miles  long  by 
three  wide,  coverin'  more  groun'  it's  true  than  it 
needs  at  present,  an'  more  than  it  can  well  cover, 
but  all  showin'  the  faith  o'  the  people.  Yes'm,  ye 
see  here  the  rough  blockin'  out  of  a  city  that'll  yit 
be  to  this  entire  coast  what  New  York  or  Boston  be 
to  that  coast — a  city  that'll  hev  a  population  of  half 
a  million  in  thirty  year.  As  fer  this  unsightly  water 
front,  it  stretches  along  in  a  half-circle  fer  five  or  six 
mile,  round  the  finest  harbor  in  the  world ;  a  harbor 
which,  like  all  this  vast  sound,  with  its  two 
thousand  mile  o'  coast-line,  is  jest  jam  full  o'  the 
finest  fish.  Right  over  behind  that  range  of  hill 
yonder,  only  two  mile  away,  is  a  fresh-water  lake, 
twenty-seven  mile  long,  five  hundred  foot  deep,  an' 
the  purtiest  body  o'  fresh  water  ye  ever  see,  'cept 
Lake  Union,  which  lays  out  north,  over  this  first  little 
ridge,  not  more'n  a  mile  away.  Jest  think  of  it — a 
city  with  salt  water  in  front,  fresh  water  at  the  rear, 
an'  that  Lake  Washington  is  an  inland  sea  if  ever 
there  was  one,  an'  a  fresh-water  lake  in  its  very 
center.  No  other  city  in  the  world  was  ever  so 
blessed." 

"Yes;  no  doubt;  and  there  seems  to  be  still  more 
water  coming  down,"  remarked  Mrs.  Wayland,  with 
a  look    of    dissatisfaction   on   her   expressive    face. 


•AND  THERE  SEEMS  TO  BE  STILL  MORE  WATER  COMING  DOWN. 

20 


A  MOTLEY  THRONG  21 

"But  is  the  city  all  built  of  this  coarse,  rough  lum- 
ber? Why,  the  very  streets  seem  paved  with  these 
huge  wooden  planks. ' ' 

"Oh,  that's  only  down  'long  shore.  You  go  up  a 
block  an'  you'll  find  as  fine  brick  an'  stone  buildin's 
as  ye  ever  see,  an'  brick  pavement.  Oh,  you  ain't 
seen  Seattle  yit.  Wait  a  week!"  And  the  old  man 
turned  away  just  as  the  Colonel  came  up  with  an 
expressman  for  their  luggage,  which  must  go  to  a 
furnished  house  they  had  rented  before  starting  from 
the  east.  This  man  declared  it  would  be  easier 
riding  by  cable  car  than  cab,  and  so  they  took  the 
first  car-line  and  were  soon  being  whisked  toward 
the  top  of  one  of  the  high  hills.  This  they  mounted 
and  made  a  dive  into  a  depression. 

Mrs.  Wayland  clutched  at  her  seat  ejaculating — "I 
have  heard  that  Rome  was  built  on  seven  hills,  but  I 
believe  Seattle  is  on  at  least  seventy. "  As  she  spoke, 
she  lost  her  hold  and  slid  helplessly  along  the  smooth 
seat,  the  car  rounding  corners  and  curves,  up  one 
hill  and  down  another  and  crossing  other  lines  on  all 
of  which  were  other  rapidly-moving  cars. 

"I  see  very  few  horses  here,  mother,"  laughed 
Rex.     "It  must  be  that  cars  are  popular. " 

"Yes,"  said  the  Colonel,  "I  understand  they  have 
a  hundred  miles  of  car-line  in  this  small  city.  Hey, 
there!  The  sun  is  smiling  on  us  again."  Ashe 
spoke,  the  rain  ceased  as  suddenly  as  it  had  com- 
menced, and  everything,  for  everything  was  wet, 
glistened  in  the  soft  sunlight.  They  had  now 
mounted  a  higher  hill,  and  away  to  the  west  stretched 
the  beautiful  bay  and  sound  with  its  wooded  islands 


22  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

darkly  green,  the  lighter  green  waters  between,  yet 
showing  white  caps,  traces  of  the  recent  squall. 

"Did  you  ever  see  anything  more  beautiful  than 
that  sound?"  exclaimed  Rex,  enthusiastically. 

"No;  I  never  did,"  admitted  his  mother,  her  eyes 
shining  as  she  toot  in  the  view. 


CHAPTER  TTI 

THE  WAYLANDS'  NEW  HOME AN  HONEST  SWEDE 

From  the  end  of  the  cable-line  it  was  but  a  short 
walk  to  their  new  home,  and  the  Waylands  pressed 
forward  with  eagerness  to  obtain  their  first  view  of 
"a  house  all  furnished  for  tenants."  Out  east  in  the 
small  town  they  had  always  lived  in,  .such  a  thing  as 
renting  a  house  furnished  was  unheard  of,  and  just 
how  much  or  how  little  they  were  now  to  find,  all 
felt  curious  to  know. 

"Here's  the  number,  mother — 1424,  and  as  the 
window  shades  are  down,  this  must  be  the  place." 
The  Colonel  paused,  took  a  photograph  from  his 
pocket,  and  after  looking  at  it,  walked  up  to  the 
rustic  gate  and  lifted  the  rope  which  held  it  to 
the  post.  At  the  front  door  he  looked  over  his 
shoulder  with  a  smile  as  he  remarked:  "Guess  I'll 
push  the  bell  before  I  try  the  key  in  the  door."  No 
one  answered  the  bell,  and  whipping  out  his  key, 
he  applied  it  and  the  three  entered  one  of  the 
prettiest  of  tastefully-carpeted  halls,  against  the 
walls  of  which  were  hat-racks,  an  umbrella  re- 
ceptacle, and  in  a  corner  a  neat  stand  with  a 
silken  spread.  "If  first  impressions  are  significant, 
this  house  ought  to  suit  you,  my  dear.  Neat  as 
wax,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes,  indeed!  and  only  see  the  rose  vines  climb- 
ing about  this  porch  and  out  over  the  fence.    I  verily 

23 


THE  WAYLANDS  ENTER  THEIR  NEW  HOME. 


THE  WAYLANDS'  NEW  HOME  25 

believe  there's  a  hundred  roses  in  sight.  One  could 
hardly  realize  this  was  New  Y'ear's  Day." 

"And  that  the  snow  was  whirling  before  the  keen 
wind  across  the  common  opposite  our  house  back 
east,"  chimed  in  Rex.  Mrs.  Wayland  said  nothing, 
but  at  the  mention  of  their  old  home  a  shadow 
crossed  her  face.  It  had  been  their  home  for  many 
years  and  a  very  happy  one  too.  There  Rex  had 
been  born ;  there  his  little  sister  had  come  to  stay 
but  a  few  short  years.  With  that  look  of  sadness  on 
the  mother's  face  came  tears,  but  even  as  the  sun  had 
just  chased  the  storm  clouds,  so  now  a  pleasant 
smile  shone  through  the  moist  eyes,  as  the  Colonel 
opened  a  door  to  the  left  and  drew  her  into  a  pretty 
little  parlor,  neatly  furnished  and  with  a  grate 
beneath  the  mantel.  In  this  grate  were  wood  and 
shavings,  and  Rex,  who  dearly  loved  an  open  fire, 
darted  forward,  applied  a  match  and  flames  went 
roaring  up  the  chimney.  "I'm  at  home!"  he  sang 
out  as  he  threw  himself  into  a  chair.  "You  may 
explore.      I'll  wait  here." 

"Bless  the  boy!  How  he  does  make  the  best  of 
everything,"  remarked  his  mother  as  she  patted  his 
cheek. 

"That's  the  way,  mother,  isn't  it?"  he  shouted  as 
he  caught  her  hand,  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  with  his 
arm  about  her  waist,  waltzed  her  through  the  open 
door.  Their  inspection  of  the  house  pleased  the 
Waylands  very  much,  and  made  them  feel  quite  at 
home,  for  it  contained  everything  desirable.  The 
dining-room,  kitchen  and  pantry  were  especially 
well  furnished,  and  at  the  back  of  the  house  were  a 


26  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

pretty  lawn  and  a  vegetable  garden.  Beyond  these 
were  sheds  for  wood  and  tools,  comprising  every- 
thing needful  about  such  a  place.  The  air  was 
unusually  clear  again,  and  as  they  stood  on  the  rear 
piazza  they  could  see  the  magnificent  Cascades  push- 
ing up  from  among  the  fleeting  clouds,  their  snow- 
covered  sides  sparkling  in  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

"What  a  mighty  wall  of  snow,  ice  and  rock!  See 
it  stretch  along.  It  must  be  a  hundred  miles  from 
that  grand  old  Rainier  at  the  south  to  that  tall 
snow-covered  mountain  at  the  north.  What  moun- 
tain is  that,  father?" 

"Mount  Baker,  Rex.  Go  round  in  front  of  the 
house  and  see  if  the  Olympics  show  up  from  here." 
Rex  did  so  and  a  shout  attracted  his  father  and 
mother  to  the  spot,  where,  with  him,  they  enjoyed  the 
weirdly  rugged  landscape  from  which  the  clouds  were 
slowly  lifting. 

"There  you  see  the  most  wonderful  promontory 
in  the  world ;  a  region  one  hundred  by  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  without  a  human  inhabitant,  white 
or  red,  except  along  its  coasts.  It  is  almost  sur- 
rounded by  water,  and  has  never  been  explored. 
But  I  must  go  to  the  nearest  market  and  order 
something  for  dinner." 

"For  lunch  you  mean,"  drawled  a  voice  just  over 
the  fence,  behind  the  rose  bushes,  "You  must  be 
from  the  east,"  continued  the  voice,  and  its  owner, 
a  big,  good-natured  looking  man,  in  overalls  and  hip 
boots,  came  forward  and  leaned  over  their  gate.  "We 
hev  breakfast,  lunch  at  noon  and  dinner  at  night 
out  here.   Now  ain't  thar  somethin'  I  kin  do  fer  ye  or 


THE  WAYLANDS'  NEW  HOME  27 

sell  ye?  Tim!  Oh,  Tim!  Trot  the  kyuse  'long;  up 
here,  till  I  sell  this  gentleman  some  vegetables  or  fish. 
Here  ye  air,  sir.  Nice  fresh  spuds — taters  they  call 
'em  out  east  —  celery,  onyuns,  caroots,  squash, 
reddishes,  turnups,  beets  —  anything  you  want.  I 
come  to  yer  door  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  an'  Sat- 
urday. I  allers  pack  every  kind  o'  fresh  fish.  Fetch 
'em  to  ye  a-kickin',  too.  No  stale  fish  in  my  pack- 
Then  I  kin  haul  yer  coal  or  wood — anythin'  ye  want. 
How  air  ye  off  fer  soft  coal,  er  kindlin',  er  bark,  er 
hard  wood  fer  yer  grate  ?  Got  any  baggige?  I 
draw — " 

"Everything  but  your  breath,"  laughed  the 
Colonel.  "My  friend,  excuse  me,  but  we've  just 
come  and  don't  know  what  we  do  want  yet.  Is 
everybody  out  here  as  enterprising  as  you  are?" 

"Jest  come?  Don't  know  what  ye  want?  Well! 
Rustle  round  an'  find  out.  Lucky  I  struck  ye  first. 
Why,  'fore  ye've  ben  here  a  half -hour,  some  o'  them 
darned  Swedes  '11  be  'round  hittin'  ye  fer  a 'yob.' 
Ye  kin  alius  tell  a  Swede.  They  got  big  white  eyes, 
an'  they  can't  pernounce  'j'  ter  save  their  scalp.  Ye 
jest  better  deal  with  a  white  man.  I'm  honest,  I 
be,  an' — " 

"So  be's  I  yonest.  I  sale  yo'  goot  feesh  en  spuds 
en  carroots  en  cabbygees.  Yaas,  I  more  yonest  dan 
dis  faeller.  I  do  yo'  yob  great  lot  less  moanee. 
What  yo'  want  doan,  sir?  I  do  yo'  yob,  I  work 
cheep.  Yeree  cheep,"  and  in  ahead  of  the  stranger, 
who  turned  away  in  evident  disgust,  stepped  a  big 
Swede,  his  eagerness  ludicrous  to  the  Waylands, 
who  were  unused  to  this  style  of  enterprise. 


28  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

"I  guess  I  won't  have  anything  to-day,"  laughed 
the  Colonel.  "When  I  want  anything,  I'll  come 
round  and  hunt  you  fellows  up. " 

"All  right,  sor.  You  hunt  meup.  I  veree  yonest. 
I  more  yonest  dan  dot  faeller.  /do  yo'  yob  for  less 
moanee.  Yo  save  mooch  as  four  bit  on  me. "  Here 
he  stood  and  stared  at  them,  occasionally  exclaiming, 
"Yaas!"  until  they  went  in,  shutting  the  door  in  his 
face. 

And  thus  life  began  for  the  Waylands  in  their 
new  home.  The  weather,  the  greater  portion  of  the 
time,  was  so  rainy  that  one  could  not  venture  out 
without  an  umbrella  or  storm  clothes,  but  almost 
every  day  came  a  period  of  sunlight  that  was  charm- 
ing. In  March,  these  days  became  more  frequent, 
and  with  May  came  the  finest  weather  they  had 
ever  known.  The  air  was  so  clear  that  the  far-away 
mountains  looked  very  near,  and  the  mountain 
torrents,  fifty  miles  distant,  flashed  like  mirrors  in 
the  sunlight.  The  grass  was  everywhere  taking  on 
a  newer  and  richer  shade  of  green;  the  roses  and 
other  hardy  flowers  which  had  bloomed  all  the 
winter,  seemed  bound  to  bloom  still  more  pro- 
fusely; humming-birds  darted  here,  there  and 
everywhere ;  the  great  bay  and  the  lakes  to  the  east 
looked  all  day  like  molten  metal,  and  on  no  day  did 
fresh,  reviving  breezes  fail  to  sweep  across  from  the 
snow-capped  mountains.  As  the  Waylands  declared, 
they  had  found  a  country  where  it  was  never  hot  nor 
even  cold,  and  where  sudden  extremes  were  un- 
known. The  Colonel  enjoyed  his  travels  about  the 
sound  region,  where  his  duties  as  insurance-adjuster 


THE  WAVLANDS    NEW  HOME  29 

called  him.  Rex  liked  his  school,  and  Mrs.  Wayland 
the  society  of  the  ladies  who  called  on  her.  All  the 
family  liked  the  church  they  attended  and  its  min- 
ister, and  it  seemed  as  if  the  lengthening  days 
brought  only  enjoyment.  Thus  passed  the  first 
summer  and  the  succeeding  winter.  In  fact,  the 
fall  stretched  so  far  into  winter  that  it  almost 
touched  the  spring  that  soon  came. 


CHAPTER   IV 

SPORTS     ON     PUGET      SOUND  WICKED      BUTCHERY     OF 

SALMON 

Rex  will  never  forget  that  first  summer  on  Puget 
Sound.  There  had  been  beautiful  days  during  the 
winter,  and  he  had  greatly  enjoyed  sundry  trips  to 
the  beach  and  one  or  two  excursions  up  the  sound 
with  his  father.  So  much  did  he  love  the  salt  air 
and  the  wild  play  of  the  waves,  he  even  enjoyed  the 
storms,  but  when  the  spring  and  summer  came, 
then  his  joy  was  unadulterated,  and  greater  than  he 
had  ever  experienced  before.  There  were  days  of 
perfect  sunshine,  when  the  few  clouds  floated  lazily 
along,  half-way  up  the  lofty  mountains,  here  and 
there  turning  like  stray  sheep  from  the  main  herd  and 
scudding  up  some  narrow  valley ;  other  days  when  the 
soft  breezes  swept  steadily  across  the  wide  waters 
laden  with  spicy  odors  of  fir,  balsam  and  cedar,  or 
with  the  seductively  soothing  scent  of  the  wild- 
flowers,  which  were  blooming  everywhere.  And 
of  these  wrild-flowers  what  an  abundance!  In  the 
early  spring  the  laurel  showed  its  wonderful  great 
pink  blossoms  on  every  mountain  side.  Later  the 
more  brilliant  wild  rhododendron  unfolded  its  wealth 
of  color  and  fragrance.  Every  berry-bush,  and 
there  were  many  varieties,  seemed  to  produce  a 
fragrant  blossom.  Then  there  were  the  brakes  and 
ferns.     These  had  mainly  thrived  right  through  the 

30 


SPORTS  ON  PUGET  SOUND  31 

mild  winter,  and  now  added  another  foot  or  two  to 
their  enormous  stature,  already  five  or  six  times 
taller  than  any  east  of  the  Cascades. 

Rex  had  never  in  his  life  caught  a  fish  that  weighed 
much  more  than  a  pound,  yet  he  was  an  enthusiastic 
and  expert  fisherman,  and  when  he  bore  home  from 
Elliott  Bay  his  first  twenty-pound  salmon,  which  he 
had  gaffed  only  after  a  long,  hard  fight,  he  was  the 
proudest  lad  in  the  state  of  Washington. 

"Only  see,  mother!  He's  nearly  as  long  as  I  am 
— thirty-nine  inches — and  he  was  all  I  wanted  to 
carry  home.  See  his  beautiful  silver  sides !  Isn't  he 
a  beauty?  Why,  they  were  leaping  all  round  me 
down  there  off  Four  Mile  Rock  this  afternoon,  and 
I  saw  an  Italian  gang  make  one  haul  of  not  less 
than  twelve  thousand  pounds." 

"Oh,  my  boy!  my  boy!  You  must  be  more 
careful  in  your  statements.  The  idea!  You  mean 
twelve  hundred  pounds,  and  even  that's  a  big  story." 

"I  tell  you,  mother,  I  know  what  I'm  talking 
about,  and  it's  no  exaggeration  when  I  say  they 
drew  a  seine  with  twelve  thousand  pounds  in  it. 
I'm  told  that  they  sometimes  take  twenty  thousand 
pounds.  It  was  in  this  way:  I  had  just  landed  this 
fellow  and  was  sitting  in  \he  boat  admiring  him, 
when  I  noticed  the  Italians  were  excited.  The  big 
fellow  with  the  longest  and  blackest  mustache,  who 
stands  up  in  the  front  of  the  head  boat,  as  dignified 
as  the  Doge  of  Venice  during  the  ceremony  of 
wedding  the  Adriatic,  lost  his  dignity  enough  to 
unfold  his  arms  and  point  ahead,  at  the  same  time 
speaking   rapidly   to   his   crew   of   ten.     Then    you 


REX  TAKES  A  TWENTY-POUND  SALMON. 


SPORTS  ON  PUGEt  SOUND  jj 

Ought  to  have  seen  those  fellows  bend  to  those  long- 
sweeps,  like  the  galley  slaves  Mr.  Wallace  describes 
in  Ben  Hur.  The  big  head  boat  began  to  move 
rapidly  through  the  water,  and  the  scow  laden  with 
nets  and  things  followed  unwillingly,  like  the  old 
Swede's  cow  led  by  a  rope.  Suddenly  Italiano 
Capitano  Mustachio  pointed  again  and  this  time  the 
rowers  bent  fairly  double,  for  each  over  his  shoulder 
saw  what  the  captain  and  I  had  seen — a  back  fin 
here  and  there  breaking  through  the  water,  while  a 
shadow,  wide-spread  and  apparently  almost  black, 
seemed  in  possession  of  the  water  underneath ;  all 
the  surrounding  water  looked  light  green  and  clear 
as  the  ocean  water  looks  out  here,  but  under 
those  black  back  fins  it  was  opaque.  The  boat  and 
scow  had  now  reached  the  school  or  were  close  to  it, 
when  three  of  the  crew  stopped  rowing  and  sprang 
to  that  great  heap  of  net.  How  they  did  pay  it 
out,  the  cork  buoys  making  a  wide  and  slowly  closing 
circle  about  the  school,  which  moved  slowly  along! 
Finally  the  circle  was  complete  and  the  rowers 
shipped  their  oars  and  began  to  haul  in  on  certain 
ropes  as  if  for  dear  life.  The  circle  of  buoys  grew 
smaller  and  the  more  active  fish  began  darting 
about.  A  big  fellow,  a  regular  old  whale,  came  up 
six  or  eight  feet  into  the  air  and  shot  fifteen  feet 
along  the  water,  landing  just  inside  the  line  of  corks. 
If  he'd  been  ten  feet  nearer  the  line,  he'd  made  it, 
but  one  of  the  Italians  put  a  gaff  into  him  and  then 
the  fight  began.  That  fish  would  weigh  all  of  fifty 
pounds,  and  he  was  limber  as  an  eel.  The  gaff  held 
and  soon  the  Italian,  a  powerful  fellow,  tossed  him 


34  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

into  the  scow.  By  this  time  the  boats  had  been 
brought  together,  while  the  circle  of  buoys  had 
decreased  to  the  size  of  this  house.  Then  the  gaffing 
began.  The  gaff  for  close  work  is  a  sharp  steel 
blade,  about  six  inches  long,  fastened  to  a  wooden 
handle  of  the  same  length.  From  this  runs  a  strap 
around  the  wrist  of  the  gaffer.  He  reaches  over — 
'chuck!'  goes  the  gaff,  and  with  a  jerk  he 
throws  a  fifteen  or  twenty  pound  salmon  into  the 
scow.  Before  that  has  struck,  another  is  after  it, 
and  thus  they  follow,  about  one  every  two  seconds. 
As  there  are  four  or  five  men  at  the  gaffs,  you  can 
believe  it  don't  take  long  to  put  in  a  ton  of  salmon. 
I  don't  think  those  fellows  were  over  fifteen  minutes 
putting  in  one  thousand  five  hundred  fish,  and  as  at 
a  low  estimate  those  fish  would  average  eight  pounds 
each,  you  can  readily  figure  out  twelve  thousand 
pounds  for  the  catch.  While  the  gaffers  were  work- 
ing, three  men  hauled  at  the  seine,  another  manned 
the  blood  pump  in  the  scow,  and  others  threw  back 
the  fish.  I  tell  you  I  was  excited.  I  wish  the  people 
back  east  could  see  such  a  sight  as  that. " 

"It  can't  be  very  pleasant  even  to  a  sportsman, 
Rex.  How  long  are  fish  going  to  last  if  taken  in 
that  way?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  mother.  There  are  proba- 
bly fifty  crews  in  the  sound  to-day,  and  every 
rancher,  boy  and  Siwash,  along  shore  is  out  after 
salmon,  just  as  they  have  been  and  will  be  for  a 
season  of  three  months.  Talk  about  butchery — 
Armour's  pig-sticking  establishment  isn't  a  com- 
parison.    From  what  I  can  hear,  this  Sound  and  the 


SPORTS  OX  PUGET  SOUND  35 

Frazer  and  Columbia  rivers  must  furnish  millions  of 
pounds  annually.  Down  on  the  Columbia,  they  have 
big  stern-wheel  boats  anchored  where  the  current 
will  revolve  the  wheel.  The  salmon  run  up  on  the 
wheel  and  are  thrown  into  the  boat.  It  is  claimed 
that  some  of  these  boats  get  twenty  thousand 
pounds  in  a  few  hours,  and  as  high  as  fifty  tons  a 
day. ' ' 

"Well,  it's  a  shame!  Your  father  can  tell  you 
how,  when  he  was  in  the  regular  army,  they  used  to 
kill  buffalo  by  thousands,  just  for  sport,  or  at  most 
for  their  tongues  and  hides;  but  now  there  is  not  a 
buffalo  to  be  found  anywhere  except  in  captivity. 
The  sin  of  those  cruel  butchers  is  visited  on  sub- 
sequent generations." 

"Why,  mother,  you  take  the  same  view  of  it  an 
old  gentleman  did  down  along  shore.  I  was  trudg- 
ing along,  that  fish  over  my  shoulder,  proud  as  a 
king,  when  I  met  him.  He  stopped.  'Wall,  young 
man!  you  be  a  sportsman,'  says  he;  'you  caught 
that  feller  by  fa'r  an'  squar'  means.  I  was  a-settin' 
out  on  the  coal  bunkers  a-fishin'  fer  rock  cod,  an'  I 
saw  ye.  Ye  landed  him  like  an  old  hand,  an'  ye 
aimed  him;  but  them  Dagoes'  (here  he  made  a 
face)  'an'  the  fellers  employin'  of  'em,  they  orter 
be  shet  off.  See  'em  go  now.  They've  histed  a 
coat  on  a  oar,  a  tug  has  gone  out,  and  they're  bound 
fer  the  cannery  with  not  less'n  ten  ton  o'  beautiful 
fish,  the  third  load  to-day.  There's  a  dozen  crews 
right  here  in  sight.  There's  more  all  over  the  sound. 
Who's  a.-makin'  money  outen  this  waste?  Is  the 
laborin'  man  a-gittin'  rich?     No;  it's  these  blarsted 


$6  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

canneries.  Some  on  'em  clean  up  a  half-a-miiliorl 
dollars  in  a  successful  season.  My  lad,  I've  seen 
the  day  when  sammun  an'  other  fish  was  even 
thicker 'n  they  be  now,  an'  'fore  you're  as  old  as  I 
am  you'll  see  the  day  there  won't  be  skurcely  any. 
I've  heerd  my  grandfather  say,  near  fifty  year  ago, 
that  when  he  was  a  boy,  an'  that  couldn't  a  ben 
more'n  sixty  year  afore,  sammun  was  so  thick  on 
the  coast  o'  Maine  and  Massachusetts  as  to  be  a 
staple  o'  food.  In  fact,  the  old  state  laws  o'  those 
states  hed  a  pervision  to  the  effect,  thet  scholars  in 
boardin'  schools  shouldn't  be  asked  to  eat  sammun 
more'n  twict  a  week.  Where  be  them  sammun 
now?  They's  a  few  o'  what  they  call  land-locked  in 
the  back  streams,  but  sammun,  like  the  dodo,  is 
extinct,  so  fur  as  that  part  o'  the  world  is  concerned, 
an'  so  'twill  be  here,  if  this  state  don't  pass  a  law 
doin'  away  with  them  infarnal  sanes!" 

"That   old  man   is   right,  Rex,  and  if  he   isn't  a 
sportsman,  he  has  the  instincts  of  one." 


CHAPTER   V 

ICHABOD  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  ESTUS A  TRUE  SPORTSMAN 

Rex  soon  learned  that  his  mother's  opinion  of  the 
old  man  was  correct,  for  if  ever  there  was  an  all- 
round  sportsman,  it  was  Uncle  Festus. 

"My  real  name  is  Ichabod  Benjamin  Franklin 
Estus, "  the  old  man  was  wont  to  say  in  an  explana- 
tory way,  "but  when  I  kim  out  here,  along-  arter  the 
war,  I  brung  along  a  hair  trunk,  on  top  o'  which  in 
big  brass  letters  was  'I.  B.  F.  ESTUS.'  When  I 
landed,  ole  man  Yesler  was  down  at  the  wharf  an' 
heerd  one  o'  the  fellers  ask  me  my  name.  'Why, 
there  ain't  any  use  o'  askin','  sez  he.  'Bein'  a  man 
o'  few  words,  he's  put  it  on  his  trunk  so't  all  kin 
read — I  be  Festus.  Then  he  shook  my  han'  an' 
interduced  me  to  ole  Chief  Seattle,  who  stood  back 
o'  him,  as  Mr.  Festus.  I  was  purty  young  thirty 
year  ago,  but  soon  they  got  to  callin'  me  Uncle,  an' 
now,  as  everybody,  from  Siwash  to  Governor 
McGraw,  calls  me  Uncle  Festus,  you  may  as  well. 
Wanter  go  fishin'  'long  o'  me  some  day?" 

Of  course  Rex  wanted  to  go.  In  September,  he 
and  the  old  man  bought  a  "grub  stake,"  made  up 
packs  and  tramped  away  up  into  the  Cascades,  where 
they  killed  any  quantity  of  grouse,  partridge,  quail, 
three  deer,  and  got  a  shot  at  a  bear,  which  they 
didn't  get.  The  old  man  did  not  seem  to  care  so 
much  about  losing  the  bear  as  he  did  for  "woundin/ 

37 


3%  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

one  o'  God's  critters  an'  leavin'  it  to  wander  roun' 
an'  suffer."  He  was  very  tender  -  hearted  and 
always  put  fish,  fowl  or  game  of  any  kind  "out  o' 
its  mizzery"  as  soon  as  he  could.  He  would  not 
catch  more  fish  nor  kill  more  game  than  he  could 
eat  or  sell,  and  was  constantly  lamenting  the  waste 
all  about  him.  Christmas  day  of  1894,  a  Swede 
named  Ole  Oleson  shot  down  twenty-one  elk  and 
five  deer,  which  he  chased  through  the  deep  snow 
over  near  the  Ducquebush  River  in  the  Olympic 
mountains,  and  was  chased  out  of  the  country  by 
the  irate  settlers.  This  news  rendered  the  old  man 
almost  sick,  and  while  usually  very  mild,  he  declared, 
"That  there  durned  Swede  orter  a  ben  lynched,  jest 
fer  the  purtection  cr  the  game  God  hez  gin  us." 

Uncle  Festus,  from  long  practice,  was  very  expert 
in  fishing  and  hunting;  also  in  all  the  arts  which  go 
to  make  up  the  successful  fisherman  and  huntsman. 
He  could  not  make  as  good  a  canoe  as  a  Siwash 
could,  for  no  white  man  can,  nor  could  he  make 
many  other  things  these  people  make,  but  he  could 
build  a  boat,  web  a  net,  whittle  out,  wind  and  joint 
a  fishing-rod,  put  up  a  pack,  cook,  clean  fish  or  dress 
meat,  tan  hides,  mould  bullets,  reload  cartridges, 
handle  a  cayuse  or  pack-horse,  pick  a  trail,  manage 
a  sail-boat,  build  a  cabin,  split  "shakes,"  or  do  what- 
ever else  was  needed  in  a  country  where* a  man  may 
become  a  sportsman  of  wide  experience.  He  was 
an  expert  logger,  and  could  have  earned  good 
money  at  this  calling,  but  as  he  expressed  it,  he 
enjoyed  himself  best  "a-putterin'  round,"  and  so  he 
did  "putter"  most  of  his  time.      He  drew  a  pension 


REX  MAKES  FRIENDS  WITH  "UNCLE  FESTUS.' 


4<>  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

from  the  government,  which  bought  his  tobacco  and 
"grub, "  and  sold  enough  fish  and  game  to  keep 
himself  in  clothes  and  spending  money,  with  some- 
thing over.  His  shanty  down  on  the  beach  opposite 
North  Seattle  was  like  many  others  there — comforta- 
ble in  that  climate,  although  in  a  colder  one  it  would 
not  have  sufficed.  It  was  neat  as  wax,  even  if  it 
did  smell  of  dog-fish  oil,  bear's  greese  and  hides, 
and  many  a  good  meal  did  Rex  and  other  young 
people  eat  there.  The  old  man  had  one  peculiar 
fad,  which  rendered  him  very  conspicuous.  He  was 
a  great  admirer  of  the  many  beautiful  crystals  to  be 
found  on  the  beach  about  the  sound  and  was  con- 
stantly collecting  them.  Some  few  of  the  most 
gaudily  colored  he  had,  with  patient  labor,  ground 
down  and  polished,  and  these  he  had  mounted  in 
gold  at  the  end  of  short  gold  chains,  which  chains 
were  in  turn  gathered  in  a  bunch  and  fastened  to  a 
heavy  gold  watch  chain,  which  he  wore  only  on  state 
occasions.  The  effect  was  somewhat  novel,  for  no 
other  ornament  exactly  like  this  had  ever  been  seen 
in  Seattle  nor  yet  in  the  South  Sea  islands.  Uncle 
Festus  liked  it,  "  'cause  'twas  odd."  Certainly  no 
better  reason  could  have  been  furnished,  for  it  was 
not  a  thing  of  beauty.  However,  it  was  one  of  the 
old  man's  most  cherished  treasures,  and  was  worn 
on  every  dress  occasion. 

Among  other  accomplishments  of  Uncle  Festus 
was  the  Chinook  jargon,  which  he  talked  with  the 
genuine  guttural  gurgle  of  a  native.  It  must  be 
understood  that  this  jargon,  which  for  more  than  a 
hundred  years  has  been  in  use  by  all  the  three  him- 


ICHABOD  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  ESTUS        41 

dred  tribes  of  Indians  from  Alaska  south  to  the 
Columbia,  is  like  many  others  of  the  cruder  lan- 
guages or  jargons,  one  of  few  characters.  Indeed, 
the  Chinook  has,  with  all  its  analogous  dialects, 
exactly  four  hundred  and  eighty  characters,  and 
were  it  not  for  sundry  gestures,  inflections  and 
emphases,  could  scarcely  suffice  to  express  the  lim- 
ited ideas  of  the  Siwash.  Considering  its  brevity, 
however,  the  range  of  expression  is  something 
remarkable,  and  to  watch  Uncle  Festus  and  hear 
him,  as  with  hands,  head  and  tongue  he  carried  on 
a  bit  of  gossip  with  some  bow-legged,  broad- 
mouthed,  flat-nosed  wanderer  along  shore,  one  would 
have  thought  him  a  past  master  and  worthy  of  hold- 
ing down  a  seat  of  instruction  in  some  college  where 
the  Chinook  was  a  part  of  the  curriculum. 

"It's  a  purty  handy  trick,"  was  Uncle  Festus 
comment  when  Rex  begged  him  to  teach  him;  but 
he  made  no  other  answer.  Rex  noticed,  however, 
that  on  all  their  numerous  trips  thereafter,  the  old 
man  always  took  pains  to  give  the  Chinook  name  or 
meaning  for  all  they  saw,  used,  or  heard.  For 
instance,  "Pull  up  the  canim  a  leetle  thar,  boy?  The 
tide's  risin,"  by  which  Rex  would  know  that 
"canim"  was  Chinook  for  boat  or  canoe.  Again, 
"Were  jest  havin'  skookum  luck  to-day,"  and  there- 
after Rex  knew  that  "skookum"  was  Chinook  for 
good,  prime,  excellent,  or  their  synonyms.  In  this 
way  he  soon  learned  that  "cultus"  was  bad,  or  as 
Uncle  Festus  put  it,  no  good;  that  "hyak"  meant 
hurry  up;  "hyas, "  great  or  large;  "ehkanam,"  a 
story;  "calipun,"  a  rifle;  "capo,"  a  coat;  "chitlo?" 


42  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

an  oyster;  "chetwoot, "  a  black  bear;  "klietan,"  an 
arrow  or  bullet;  tlknitan,"  a  horse;  "snass,"  rain ; 
"kull-snass,"  hail;  "t'kope-snass,"  snow,  etc.,  etc. 
It  took  but  a  few  weeks  of  this  training  to  give  Rex 
a  tolerable  knowledge  of  the  language,  and  the  old 
man  then  began  to  put  easy  phrases  as  questions. 
If  Rex  answered  incorrectly,  he  carefully  explained 
every  word,  impressing  the  lesson  by  homely  but 
apt  illustration.  The  old  man  was  evidently  greatly 
pleased  with  the  progress  of  his  pupil  in  all  the  arts 
he  had  taught  him,  and  well  he  might  be,  for  Rex 
was  a  bright  boy,  and  took  great  interest  in  anything 
he  attempted.  He  had  expanded  wonderfully,  both 
in  a  physical  and  mental  way,  since  coming  to  the 
Sound  country,  and  found  it  easier  than  ever  before 
to  accomplish  tasks.  It  will  be  found  that  the  more 
healthy  and  well  -  trained  physically  a  person 
becomes,  the  more  active  the  powers  of  comprehen- 
sion will  grow.  Overtraining,  of  course,  is  as  bad 
as  none  at  all ;  in  this,  as  in  everything  else,  good 
judgment  should  always  rule,  though  in  the  case  of 
a  strong,  healthy  boy  of  sixteen,  there  is  little 
danger  of  overdoing  in  a  physical  way,  especially 
when  six  or  eight  hours  of  five  days  per  week  are 
put  into  stud}%  as  was  the  case  with  Rex.  His 
studies  he  never  neglected,  and  so  well  had  he 
progressed  that  he  hoped  to  enter  the  new  State  Uni- 
versity, in  the  northeast  suburbs  of  Seattle,  as  soon 
as  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  His  numerous 
trips  with  Uncle  Festus  had  been  made  Saturdays 
or  during  vacations,  and  not  an  hour  had  he  taken 
from  school.     In  fact,  had  he  proposed  neglecting 


ICHABOD  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  ESTUS         43 

school,  he  would  have  met  with  a  stern  reprimand 
from  Uncle  Festus,  so  much  did  the  old  man  respect 
learning.  "It's  all  well  enough  to  lam  all  ye  kin 
'bout  animals  an'  fish,  their  habits  an'  how  to  trap 
'em,  but  don't  neglect  yer  'rithmetic,  yer  grammer- 
atics,  jogerfy  an'  sich.  No,  boy;  don';:  neglect  yer 
schoolin',  fer  ye  kin  fish  an'  hunt  when  ye  air  too  old 
to  go  to  school.  Fill  up  thet  thar  magerzine  o' 
yourn  with  cattridges  o'  larnin'  while  yer  young. 
Ye  can't  ketch  on  after  yer  whiskers  git  gray." 

Thus  admonished,  Rex  studied  hard.  It  seemed 
a  wonder  he  did  not  mix  his  Greek  and  Latin  with 
his  Chinook,  but  he  never  did,  and  one  day,  late  in 
the  fall  of  '94,  after  a  lengthy  conversation  with 
Uncle  Festus  in  Chinook,  at  which  time  Rex  had 
deported  himself  to  the  old  man's  great  satisfaction, 
the  latter  said:  "Wall,  I  declar'  for  it,  you've  picked 
up  thet  jargon  quicker' n  I  did,  by  a  long  shot.  I 
didn't  do  much  else  fer  a  time  neither.  You're  a 
reg'lar  young  Si  wash.  Did  ye  know  it?  I  think  I'll 
hev  ter  take  ye  down  ter  see  an  Injun  gal  o'  mine, 
How'd  you  like  to  make  up  to  a  Siwash  princess?" 

"Is  she  good-looking.  Uncle?" 

"Hansum  as  a  picter — of  her,"  replied  the  old 
man,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "Did  ye  ever  see 
the  Princess  Angyline?" 

"What!  That  awful-looking  little  old  woman  who 
has  a  shanty  down  below  Bell  Town?" 

"She's  the  charmer,"  rejoined  the  old  man  grimly. 

"No;  I  never  saw  her  at  close  quarters;  a  view  at 
a  distance  is  enough  for  me.  Why,  she  has  the 
homeliest  face  I  ever  saw  on  a  human  being !     I  see 


44  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

her  picture  everywhere  out  here  —  in  the  store 
windows,  on  bric-a-brac,  and  once  I  saw  it  in  a 
magazine  out  east." 

"Oh,  she's  a  noted  beauty,  boy.  People  make  fun 
o'  her  looks,  an'  I'll  allow  she  ain't  as  hansum  as 
your  mother  and  some  o'  the  other  ladies  on  Queen 
Anne  Hill,  but  she's  good,  an'  once  ye  know  her, 
ye'll  respect  her,  even  if  she  is  a  Siwash.  I  think 
you  an'  I  better  call  on  her  and  chat  with  her  a  leetle 
while  to-morrer  arternoon;  kin  ye  git  away  to- 
morrer?" 

"Oh,  yes;  it's  Saturday,  and  I  would  really  like  to 
pay  my  respects  to  the  Princess." 

"Wall,  come  'long  down  by  my  shack,  then.  Ye 
needn't  put  on  yer  best  does,  even  if  ye  air  goin'  to 
call  on  a  princess.  There's  nothin'  stuck-up  about 
Angyline. " 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    PRINCESS    ANGELINE    RECEIVES    GUESTS 

The  Princess  Angeline  has  been  for  the  past 
twenty-five  years  the  most  noted  Indian  woman  in 
the  United  States,  or  Canada.  And  why?  /Was  she 
a  beauty?  "Was  she  of  brilliant  intellect  or  strong 
mind?     Was  she  even  a  ruler  over  many  Indians? 

"No"  answers  all  these  questions.  So  far  as 
features  were  concerned,  hers  was  the  most  gro- 
tesque phiz  ever  seen  on  paper;  and  in  the  north- 
west it  is  seen  everywhere.  Xo  album  or  collection 
of  pictures,  no  cabinet  of  curios  is  complete  without 
a  picture  of  Angeline;  but  not  because  of  her 
beauty.  Xo ;  Angeline  was  probably  the  possessor 
of  the  homeliest  face  ever  grown  on  the  front  side  of 
a  human  head.  In  figure,  she  was  far  from  stately 
or  graceful,  even  if  she  was  a  princess  royal  of  the 
Siwash  blood  and  of  the  dynasty  of  Seattle.  She 
was,  when  in  her  prime,  about  fifty  inches  in  height, 
but  during  the  last  fifteen  years  of  her  life,  seemed 
to  shrink  a  little  more  each  year,  like  a  piece  of 
buckskin  that  is  first  wet  and  then  dried,  just  as 
Angeline  was  by  the  alternate  wet  and  dry  seasons 
of  her  native  Sound.  The  shape  of  her  figure  was 
never  known,  for  her  clothes  never  fitted.  They 
hung  loosely  from  her  stooped  shoulders,  and  for 
convenience  were  tied  round  near  the  hips,  with  a 
string.     Her  shoes  were  of  the  coarsest  description, 

45 


46  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

and  she  had  a  habit  of  untying  them,  to  rest  her 
feet,  while  making  one  of  her  numerous  calls.  As 
to  intellect,  if  Angeline  had  any,  few  people  knew 
of  it,  for  she  rarely  deigned  to  air  even  her  scant 
knowledge  of  the  English  or  Boston  "langlang"  or 
language.  During  the  last  twenty  years  of  her  life, 
she  was  generally  looked  upon  as  an  imbecile,  and 
on  account  of  her  great  age  was  childish.  However, 
Angeline  was  never  a  fool,  and  those  who  under- 
stood Chinook  and  talked  with  her,  or  in  her  native 
language,  for  she  was  pure  Si  wash  (Duwamish),  will 
testify  that  she  was  in  many  ways  remarkable.  Like 
many  another  old  person,  her  recollection  of  events 
of  fifty  years  or  more  ago,  was  perfect,  and  while 
she  was  an  Indian  woman  and  knew  nothing  of 
the  outside  world  of  the  early  portion  of  the  present 
century,  she  knew  much  of  the  Indian  history  of 
Puget  Sound,  and  it  is  a  pity  her  knowledge  was 
never  recorded,  where  it  might  have  been  of  use  to 
future  generations. 

On  account  of  the  general  reverence  and  respect 
for  her  kingly  father,  Chief  Sealth  or  Seattle,  whom 
many  residents  of  the  northwest  remember,  and 
that  with  high  regard,  and  also  on  account  of  her 
own  good  qualities,  Angeline  was  a  favorite  with  all 
Seattle  and  vicinity.  No  store  or  business  place  was 
too  grand  to  refuse  her  a  seat,  if  she  chose  to  call ; 
and  had  she  cared  to  cultivate  English,  she  might 
daily  have  held  conversation  with  the  most  stylish 
ladies  of  the  city.  As  it  was,  she  generally  said  no 
more  than  "klahowya"  (How  are  you),  or  "kla- 
howya  six"  (Good-morning,  sir),  unless  she  happened 


REX  MEETS  PRINCESS  ANGELINE, 
47 


48  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

to  meet  with  some  master  or  mistress  of  Chinook. 
Then  she  would  brighten  up  and  chatter  like  a 
monkey.  Especially  did  she  value  old  friends  and 
love  to  chat  with  them.  It  was  for  this  reason  that 
Rex  could  not  have  chosen  a  better  mediator  than 
Uncle  Festus  for  presentation  to  this  royal  dame. 

The  afternoon  chosen  for  the  call  was  windy  and 
disagreeable,  and  the  Princess  was  basking  in  the 
warmth  of  a  fire  of  the  driftwood,  with  which  her 
foster-son  kept  her  supplied,  when  they  entered  the 
rude  cabin  down  near  the  water  front.  As  Angeline 
saw  the  good-natured  face  of  Uncle  Festus,  she 
brightened  up,  and  her  "klahowya"  was  in  every 
sense  a  welcome.  The  presentation  of  Rex  was  a 
simple  ceremony,  and  coming  under  such  patronage 
he  was  well  received.  Especially  so  when  he  began 
to  chat  with  his  hostess  in  very  guttural  Chinook. 
He  had  been  given  a  hint  by  Uncle  Festus,  and  took 
pains  to  inform  her  that  he  had  learned  Chinook 
jargon  for  the  purpose  of  being  able  to  talk  with 
her.  This  information  and  a  gift  of  fruit  put 
Angeline  in  high  feather,  and  she  was  as  gracious 
as  she  knew  how  to  be.  It  must  have  been  a  happy 
evening  to  the  old  woman,  probably  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  o£  her  later  life,  for  here  was  her  old 
friend  of  thirty  years  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the 
other  a  Boston  lad  who  called  her  "Kwal'k"  (Aunty), 
and  who  "kum-tux  Chinook"  (understood  Chinook). 
They  talked  of  the  "kultus  smoke"  (bad  weather), 
and  the  Princess  declared  she  had  been  "hyas 
kwass"  (very  much  frightened)  at  the  beating  of 
the  waves  and  the  roaring  of  the  winds  the  night 


PRINCESS  ANGELINE  RECEIVES  GUESTS       49 

before.  Gradually  they  drifted  to  other  topics,  and 
among  them.  Chief  Sealth  or  Seattle,  the  illustrious 
sire  of  their  hostess.  Uncle  Festus  remembered  the 
old  chief  very  well,  and  truly  admired  him  for  his 
sterling  qualities,  for  he  was  one  of  the  greatest 
Indians  that  ever  lived.  His  statesmanship,  by 
means  of  which  he  was  able  to  consolidate  the  six 
tribes,  and  make  himself  their  ruler,  his  respect  for 
good  white  men,  his  intercourse  through  representa- 
tives with  the  "hy  as  tyee"  (great  father,  or 
president)  at  Washington  City,  his  hatred  of 
heathenish  sacrifices  and  other  bad  practices,  his 
final  death  and  grand  funeral  at  "Old  Man  House" 
(Port  Madison),  fifteen  miles  across  the  Sound  from 
Seattle,  were  all  discussed  that  evening,  and  it  is 
but  truth  to  state  that  Rex  had  never  been  more 
interestingly  entertained. 

About  nine  o'clock,  however,  the  aged  Princess 
began  to  grow  very  drowsy,  and  her  callers,  seeing 
she  had  become  weary  and  might  doze  off  in  her 
chair,  or  for  that  matter  retire  to  her  royal  couch 
before  their  very  eyes,  arose  to  take  their  departure. 
It  is  customary  with  the  Siwash  to  allow  guests  to 
depart  without  invitation  to  call  again,  but  the 
Princess  hobbled  to  her  door,  bade  them  good-bye, 
and  urged  "Clapootchus  Hintipso"  and  "Bebe  Ack" 
(Long  Beard  and  her  Dear  Nephew)  to  come  often. 

"I  never  knowed  you  was  quite  such  a  ladies' 
man,"  remarked  Uncle  Festus  as  they  made  their 
way  along  the  beach  in  the  darkness  toward  North 
vSeattle.  "Most  fellers  lookin'  at  us,  in  ordinary, 
everyday  does,    wouldn't  think   we'd   jest   had    an 


50  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

audience  with  a  princess.  Why  didn't  ye  wear  yer 
claw-hammer  anyway  this  evenin'?  I  s'posed  you 
Queen  Anne  sassiety  men  put  on  more  style." 

"Nevertheless  I  pleased  the  Princess,  Uncle  Fes- 
tus.  Did  you  hear  her  call  me  'Bebe  Ack,'  her 
dear  nephew?  I  didn't  hear  her  address  you  by  any 
such  loving  title." 

"No;  she  an'  I  air  old  'tillacums'  (loving-  friends), 
but  purty  keerful  how  we  show  our  affection  'fore 
folks.  But,  say!  I'm  reel  glad  she  took  to  you  so. 
I  hev  an'  objic'  in  interdoocin'  you.  If  we  kin  git 
her  a-goin'  some  night,  when  she  feels  jest  right, 
she'll  tell  you  somethin'  she  tole  me  once;  an'  if  she 
does,  yer  eyes'll  stick  out  some,  I  tell  ye!" 

"What  is  it,  Uncle?     Tell  me  now." 

"No-o!  Don't  think  I  will,"  said  the  old  man, 
slowly.  "I  will  say,  though,  it's  a  secret  o'  them 
there  mountains.  Look  off  to  the  west,  boy,  at  the 
Olympics,  an'  see  'em  rearm'  up  there  all  white  an' 
cold  as  the  toom  of  a  "hy  as  tyee"  long  dead.  The 
secrets  o'  them  great  white  mountains,  God  only 
knows,  fer  though  they're  not  fifty  mile  away,  as 
the  eagle  flies,  no  man,  white  ner  red,  lies  ever 
explored  'em.  They've  ben  explored  at,  but  not 
explored.  The  secret  I've  got  an  inklin'  of  concerns 
them,  an'  I'd  like  to  know  the  truth  on  it.  Good- 
night! Trot  'long  home  now,"  and  he  entered  his 
cabin  door,  leaving  Rex  outside,  staring  at  the  snow- 
covered  crags  and  peaks  which  in  the  flood  of 
moonlight  now  freshly  showered  across  from  the 
Cascades,  looked  like  vast  icebergs  rising  out  of  the 
waters  of  the  Sound. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  PRINCESS  SEES  A   VISION,    AND    IS  GREATLY    SHOCKED 

*  ^-It  was  nearly  a  month  before  Rex  could  again 
persuade  Uncle  Festus  to  call  upon  Angeline,  and 
he  was  himself  kept  from  her  cabin  by  the  old  man's 
stern  injunction:  "Let  the  old  girl  alone.  Go  to  her 
door  if  ye  want  to ;  leave  some  fruit  er  some  change 
maybe,  a  two-bit  piece  now  an'  then  is  mighty 
acceptable — but  don't  ye  go  to  pumpin'  her,  for  if 
ye  do — she's  a  Si  wash — she'll  pull  her  head  into  her 
shell  an'  ye  won't  git  her  confidence  agin  fer  a  year. 
The  best  way  to  find  anything  out  of  a  Siwash  is  to 
git  'em  a-tellin'  yarns — to  boastin' — an'  then  they'll 
spit  out  somethin'  thet  all  the  tortures  imaginable 
couldn't  a-made  'em  gin  up.  Keep  good  friends  with 
yer  aunty  when  ye  meet  her  in  the  street,  fire  some 
Chinook  at  her,  in  a  off-hand  way,  but  don't  go  to 
pryin'  into  her  family  affairs.  I've  got  my  reasons, 
as  you'll  see." 

Rex  promised  to  use  great  caution,  and  patiently 
awaited  Uncle  Festus'  motion.  He  returned  from 
school  one  evening  to  find  Uncle  Festus  at  the  gate 
awaiting  him. 

"Got  any  engagement  fer  this  evenin'?"  enquired 
the  old  man. 

4 'Not  that  I  know  of.     Why?" 

"I  want  ye.  Come  down  to  my  shack  about  svx 
o'clock. "     Rex  was  on  hand  at  the  time  agreed,  and 

51 


52  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

found  the  old  man  sitting  meditatively  over  a  bottle. 
"Say,  boyee!  ef  I  didn't  consider  it  a  darned 
mean  trick,  I'd  take  some  o'  thet  stuff  down  an' 
dope  the  Princess.  It's  whiskey — that  stuff  is,  an' 
while  it's  good  of  its  kind  an'  useful  in  its  place,  I 
don't  think  much  on  it.  I  never  drunk  any  to 
speak  on,  an'  I'll  be  jiggered  if  I'll  give  it  to  that 
ole  Siwash.  It'd  loosen  her  tongue,  and  she'd  tell 
all  she  know'd  mebbe,  but  I  won't  do  it.  No,  sir! 
We'll  put  it  up  in  thet  there  cubbard  where  it's  set 
fer  the  last  ten  year,"  and  up  it  went.  "Ye  see, 
Angeline  never  was  no  hand  fer  drink,  but  some- 
times she  takes  a  leetle  to  ease  her  of  her  rumatiz, 
an'  when  she  does,  she's  chattery  as  thunder.  She's 
ben  purty  well  stirred  up  to-day.  That  young  artist 
feller,  Ralph  Coombs,  ole  Sam  Coombs'  boy,  has  all 
unknown  to  most  on  us  ben  paintin'  a  picter  of  old 
Sealth.  It's  no  ideal  picter,  but  a  copy  of  a  photy- 
graph  old  man  Denny  got  of  Sealth,  years  and  years 
ago.  Ye  see  there  ain't  any  other  original  picter. 
The  ole  chief,  much  as  he  liked  the  white  men,  an' 
good  Catholic  as  he  was,  had  lots  of  Injun  supersti- 
tion in  him.  He  hed  a  holy  horror  of  havin'  his 
picter  took,  though  old  man  Denny  an'  all  of  us 
was  a-continually  tryin'  to  get  him  to  hev  one  took. 
He  alius  refused,  fer  the  reason,  as  his  interpreter 
said,  he  was  'fraid  we'd  steal  his  spirit  outen  his 
body  an'  he'd  hev  no  spirit  to  be  resurrected  when 
the  Hy  as  Tyee  got  ready  to  raise  folks.  One  day  he 
was  over  here — he  was  livin'  at  Old  Man  House 
then — and  after  he'd  concluded  business,  Denny  an' 
some  o'  the  rest  got  him  to  pledge  'em  in  a  glass 


THE  PRINCESS  SEES  SEATTLE'S  PORTRAIT 

ft 


54  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

o'  rum.  The  ole  feller  liked  it — we  could  see  that 
— and  as  he  never  drunk  much,  it  was  quick  about 
affectin'  him.  Wall,  we  all  purtended  to  be  jealous, 
an'  we  all  got  him  to  pledge  us — there  was  seven  on 
us,  I  think — an'  we  got  seven  drinks  inter  his  ole 
hide.  Then  he  wanted  to  go  down  to  his  canim  an' 
start  fer  home,  but  on  some  excuse  or  ruther  we  got 
him  up  inter  the  only  dugerrvtype  shop  there  was 
in  the  town.  There  he  stood,  stubbo'n  an'  bracin', 
his  ole  big  Hudson's  Bay  blanket  wrapped  'round 
him,  as  dignified  as  ye  please,  for  the  drunker  he  got 
the  more  dignified  he  was.  While  he  was  talkin'  or 
listenin'  to  our  talk  which  was  translated  to  him  by 
his  interpreter  —  fer  if  he  did  know  Chinook  or 
Boston  talk,  he  wouldn't  never  let  on  he  knew  any- 
thin'  but  pure  Duwamish — the  artist  jest  cut  loose 
his  machine  on  him  an'  we  had  a  picter.  Wall,  ole 
man  Denny  has  alius  preserved  thet  picter.  From 
thet,  young  Ralph  Coombs  has  made  a  big  paintin' 
in  oil  fer  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  an'  to-day  his 
father  Sam,  me,  an'  several  more  ole  timers,  took 
Angeline  in  to  pass  judgment  on  it.  The  ole  chief's 
ben  dead  nigh  onto  thirty  year;  he  died  in  June  o' 
'66  I  think,  an'  of  course  Angeline  hain't  never  hed 
any  picter  of  him,  as  white  folks  hev  o'  their  people. 
We  thought  we'd  see  if  she  remembered  him.  First 
along,  she  didn't  want  to  go  in,  but  we  finally  per- 
suaded of  her  an'  round  a  corner  she  walks  right 
plum  afore  ole  Seattle,  a-standin'  up  thar  life-size, 
the  ole  gray  Hudson's  Bay  blanket  with  the  blue 
border  wrapped  round  him.  She  jumped,  then 
looked  fer  a  full  minute,  when  her  leetle  ole  dried-up 


THE  PRINCESS  SEES  A  VISION  55 

face  turned  a  yaller-white.  Then  the  tears  begin  to 
run,  an'  down  on  her  knees  she  flopped,  whinin' 
like  a  she  bear  an'  takin'  on  like  all  possessed." 

"  'Thet's  a  picter  of  yer  father,  Angeline,'  says 
Coombs;  'jest  a  picter.     Thet's  all!'  ' 

"  'Utchidah  !  Utchidah  !  Nika  Papa  !  Hias 
klosh!'  (Wonderful  !  Wonderful  !  Great  or  good 
picture  of  my  dear  father!) 

"This  she  said  over  a  dozen  times,  and  every  leetle 
while  this  arternoon  she's  ben  'round  to  look  at  thet 
picter  an'  cry.  I  think  someun  hez  gin  her  a  leetle 
rum,  jest  to  quiet  her,  fer  she  acted  like  she  was  goin' 
into  hysterics.  If  she's  got  any  likker  aboard,  we'll 
find  her  very  stupid  or  very  talkative  to-night.  Let's 
hurry  up  an'  git  down  thar  'fore  her  bed-time.  It's 
lucky  I  hed  you  over  to  Port  Madison  to  see  what's 
left  o'  Old  Man  House  an'  have  a  talk  with  ole  Bill 
Deshaw  the  other  day.  You  kin  git  her  a-talkin'  on 
thet  an'  if  she  wants  to  talk,  why  let  her." 


CHAPTER   VIII 

WONDERFUL    OLD    MAN    HOUSE SIWASH    HISTORY, 

RELIGION    AND    SUPERSTITION 

Old  Man  House  was  probably  the  most  remarkable 
Indian  palace  in  the  new  world  in  its  day,  not  even 
excepting  the  caves  of  the  cliff-dwellers  in  the  south. 
Little  trace  of  it  now  remains,  but  from  "old  Bill 
Deshaw,"  a  sub-Indian  agent  and  trader  at  Port 
Madison,  Rex  and  Uncle  Festus  had  obtained  a  very 
good  description  and  history  of  it,  in  substance  as 
follows : 

Old  Man  House  was  built  about  1750,  by  one  of 
the  six  tribes  afterward  forming  the  Duwamish  con- 
federation. It  stood  on  the  beach  of  Agate  Pass- 
age, near  what  is  now  known  as  Port  Madison,  about 
sixteen  miles  northwest  of  Seattle.  It  was  one 
immense  building  of  logs  and  "shakes," — boards  or 
planks  split  from  cedar;  its  dimensions  somewhat  in 
excess  of  one  thousand  by  sixty  feet.  No  other  por- 
tion of  the  United  States  than  Puget  Sound  could 
have  furnished  its  timbers,  for  while  California  has 
groves  of  sequoia  and  redwood,  some  trees  of  which 
are  larger,  no  state  save  Washington  has  forests 
averaging  such  a  size,  so  near  tide -water. 

Those  who  saw  this  house  standing  in  a  state  of 
partial  decay  in  1859,  say  its  front  was  upheld  by 
posts  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  feet  high.     These  were  notched  at  the 


WONDERFUL  OLD  MAN  HOUSE  57 

top,  and  from  each  notch,  running  back  to  the  bluff 
some  sixty  or  eighty  feet,  were  timbers  from  five  to 
seven  feet  in  diameter.  The  rear  ends  of  these  were 
imbedded  in  the  bluff.  The  sides  and  roof  were  of 
very  wide  "shakes,"  lapped  and  pinned  fast.  The 
finish  of  the  interior  was  from  time  to  time  changed 
to  suit  the  occupants,  and  a  whole  tribe  or  certain 
highly  favored  representatives  of  the  six  tribes  lived 
in  it  at  times.  The  roll  call  of  this  royal  household 
was  never  less  than  seven  hundred,  and  at  times 
exceeded  one  thousand.  It  was  this  palace  Sealth 
or  Seattle  took  possession  of  after  his  successful  con- 
solidation of  the  six  tribes  into  the  powerful  Duwam- 
ish  confederacy,  and  the  palace  was  from  that  time 
known  as  the  Tsu-suc-cub.  Eight  chiefs  and  their 
retinues  occupied  it.  These  chiefs  were :  Sealth  or 
Seattle  the  Great ;  his  aged  father,  Sealth  the  First, 
who,  on  acount  of  his  relationship,  ranked  second; 
Chief  Kitsap,  whose  great  strength  and  prowess  in 
battle  made  him  third;  Tsulucub  fourth;  Beck-kl- 
lus  fifth;  Steachecum  sixth;  Ocub  seventh;  Lache- 
masub  eighth.  Seattle  the  Great,  or  Second,  as  he 
was  sometimes  called,  was  hy  as  tyee,  or  superior 
chief,  and  all  the  others  were  merely  tyees,  or  tenas 
tyees — little,  or  lesser  chiefs.  There  were  three 
tribes  to  the  south  and  east,  who  paid  tribute  to 
Sealth  the  Great  and  sent  hostages  to  serve  in  his 
palace.  These  were  elite  tyees,  or  chiefs  in  slavery. 
The  Old  Man  House  tribe,  before  the  confederal, 
was  the  dominant  tribe  of  all  that  section,  and  as 
such  compelled  all  other  tribes  to  send  hostages  for 
service, 


^>-aMB  &M&  Bi0P^ 


y71.   ^^mPl'fl 


fc> 


4* 


fl?     0      ° 


HOME  OF  SEALTH,  OR  "SEATTLE  THE  GREAT." 


WONDERFUL  OLD  MAN  HOUSE  59 

As  this  story  will  show,  Sealth  or  Seattle  the  First 
was  one  of  these  hostages,  and  it  is  highly  probable 
that  these  serving  men  often  became  meat  for  the 
sacrificial  fires  which  these  heathen  prior  to  1850 
were  more  or  less  publicly  offering  to  appease  their 
Tamahnawis,  or,  as  some  authorities  have  it,  their 
Klail  Tamahnawis,  or  evil  spirit.  They  never 
bothered  themselves  to  appease  the  good  spirit,  for 
he, they  reasoned,  would  never  harm  them,  but  the 
evil  spirit  was  to  be  feared,  and  he  was  the  fellow  to 
keep  on  the  right  side  of  by  frequent  gifts  and  sacri- 
fices. This  Klail  Tamahnawis  was  looked  upon  as 
the  Saghalic  Tyee,  or  supreme  being  of  all,  showing 
that  they  believed  the  bad  predominated ;  and  one 
of  the  chief  aids  of  this  all-powerful  evil  spirit  was 
the  "Thunderbird, "  an  immense  animal  partaking 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  bird,  fish  and  dragon. 

This  terror  made  its  abode  in  the  highest  moun- 
tains, notably  Mount  Olympus,  some  seventy  miles 
northwest  of  Seattle,  and  from  this  lofty  eyrie  he 
descended  at  times  with  great  din  and  sulphurous 
fumes,  to  feed  on  whales,  which  he  caught  in  the  sea 
with  his  immense  talons  and  bore  away  to  his  lair. 
If  he  was  propitiated  by  sundry  precious  gifts  and 
sacrifices,  he  was  quite  unlikely  to  sally  forth,  often 
sleeping  in  his  den  years  at  a  time,  but  if  such  gifts 
were  forgotten,  he  might  come  forth  two  or  three 
times  in  a  single  season. 

Just  what  form  of  gift  or  sacrifice  best  pleased  him 
none  but  the  wise  men  knew,  and  as  he  was  a  finical 
and  capricious  sort  of  ogre,  these  wise  men  were 
often  put  to  their  wits'  end  to  select  a  bill  of  fare 


60  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

sufficiently  varied.  It  should  be  understood  that 
whenever  this  ogre  set  forth  on  a  whaling  trip,  dire 
disaster  visited  all  the  tribes  of  the  Puget  Sound 
region,  for  not  only  were  all  the  fish,  seal  and  other 
amphibious  game  frightened  from  these  waters,  but 
all  the  game  of  the  forests  was  driven  away. 

It  is  related  that  at  one  descent  he  literally  killed 
off  all  the  game  on  land  between  Mount  Baker  at  the 
north  and  Mount  Rainier  at  the  south,  and  that  for  a 
lifetime  thereafter,  no  Siwash  could  catch  or  kill  a 
living  thing  on  the  Sound  or  any  of  its  tributarv 
waters,  nor  yet  upon  the  land  drained  thereby.  At 
another  time  still  anterior  to  this  epoch,  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Rainier,  while  a  rival  spirit  of  equal 
dimensions  took  up  his  residence  in  Mount  St. 
Helens,  in  northern  Oregon  near  the  mouth  of  the 
great  Columbia.  From  these  lofty  eyries  the  rival 
Thunderbirds  set  forth  to  wage  fierce  battle  in  mid 
air,  and  death  and  devastation  followed.  Every  living 
thing  between  these  two  mountains  and  all  the  way 
up  the  Sound  to  the  straits  of  Antoine,  now  Juan  de 
Fuca,  perished.  This  fight  lasted  several  days,  and 
at  one  time  centred  about  what  is  now  Mount  Baker, 
at  the  north  end  of  the  Sound.  The  unhappy  Siwash 
strove  to  make  their  way  out  of  the  Sound  and  Col- 
umbia River  region,  but  the  breath  of  the  awful 
combatants,  the  flames  from  their  red  hot  shields, 
the  smoke,  dust  and  fire  from  their  clashing  weap- 
ons, all  combined  to  make  such  a  kultus-smoke  (fog 
or  bad  weather),  such  flight  was  next  to  impossible. 
The  straits,  the  only  outlet  from  the  Sound,  literally 
foiled,  and  steam  and  sulphurous  fumes  obliterated 


WONDERFUL  OLD  MAN  HOUSE  6l 

every  form  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  At  the 
same  time  the  waters  of  the  Columbia  were  dammed 
by  the  shower  of  rocks  that  fell,  and  a  great  flood 
was  the  result. 

The  icy  waters  from  the  snow-covered  mountains 
swept  down  to  boil  against  the  huge  dam  of  red-hot 
rocks  and  earth,  and  the  steam  and  rise  of  fog  was 
something  so  tremendous,  confusing  and  terrifying 
as  to  shut  off  all  exit  in  that  direction.  At  last  a 
Moses  of  his  people,  a  brave,  strong-hearted  Siwash, 
led  them  south  via  the  present  Olympia  flats  to  the 
coast  near  Gray's  Harbor,  where  the  surviving  mem- 
bers of  the  many  tribes  lived  for  a  long  period  under 
his  rule,  to  later  scatter  north,  south  and  east  and 
again  people  the  Sound  and  its  tributary  territory. 
One  region,  however,  the  Olympic  peninsula,  that 
wonderfully  mountainous  promontory  between  the 
straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  on  the  north,  the  Pacific 
Ocean  on  the  west,  and  Puget  Sound  on  the  east, 
they  have  ever  since  shunned.  That  is,  they  have 
never  pushed  settlements  far  into  the  interior  of  this 
rough  and  mysterious  country,  but  have  confined 
themselves  to  its  shores  and  beaches,  ready  at  any 
time  to  take  to  the  water. 

They  believe  that  while  the  fiercest  combat  raged 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Columbia,  in  Northern  Oregon, 
the  combatants  did  not  retire  to  the  nearest  peaks, 
but  that  one  of  them  was  driven  along  to  the  far 
north,  the  other  in  hot  pursuit;  that  the  pursuer 
finally  came  back  across  the  straits  and  flew  to  the 
brow  of  Mount  Olympus,  from  which  perch  he  sur- 
veyed the  desolated  country  and  awaited  a  return  of 


62  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

any  rival  that  might  dare  show  himself;  that  finally 
not  seeing  or  hearing  any,  he  ensconced  himself  in  a 
deep  pit  or  crater  in  a  hidden  pass  between  Olympus 
and  Mount  Constance,  and  there  abides  to  this  day. 

That  he  has  never  since  come  forth  is  owing  to  the 
fact  that  no  rival  Thunderbird,  no  Siwash  and  few  if 
any  white  men  have  disturbed  him ;  also  that  he  was 
so  greatly  propitiated  about  one  hundred  years  ago 
by  a  magnificent  gift,  or  potlatch,  of  gold  and 
precious  articles,  that  he  became  friendly  to  the 
Siwash  of  the  Sound,  and  has  not  since  descended 
on  them  or  their  territory. 

Those  immense  pointed  rocks  or  needles,  such  a 
source  of  wonder  to  the  tourist  up  over  the  Union 
Pacific  thirty  or  forty  miles  east  of  Portland,  are 
believed  by  the  Siwash  to  be  the  arrow  and  spear 
heads  of  these  mighty  Thunderbirds. 

It  is  claimed  that  in  this  vicinity  the  battle  raged 
fiercest,  and  that  these  needle-like  rocks,  many  of 
which  are  one  thousand  feet  high,  are  the  arrows  and 
spear-heads  which  shot  against  the  shields  of  these 
mighty  adversaries,  dropped  down  to  stick  up  in  the 
ground. 

The  explanation  of  all  this  tradition  and  actual 
Siwash  belief  is,  that  at  some  far  distant  period  these 
great  peaks  were  in  active  eruption ;  that  Mount  St. 
Helens,  Mount  Rainier,  Mount  Olympus  and  Mount 
Baker  were  active  at  one  and  the  same  time ;  that 
the  land  was  overhung  with  smoke  and  sulphurous 
fumes,  and  that  the  waters  were  boiled  by  the  des- 
cent of  great  quantities  of  heated  lava  and  ashes. 
Mount    Baker   has   never   been    climbed,   but   it   is 


WONDERFUL  OLD  MAN  HOUSE  63 

believed  that  it  was  once  a  volcano.  Mount  Rainier 
has  been  climbed,  and  yet  steams.  It  was  a  volcano. 
Mount  St.  Helens  was  also  a  volcano.  Little  is 
known  of  Mount  Olympus.  Its  height  even  is 
variously  given  at  from  nine  thousand  to  twelve 
thousand  feet.  It  is  so  beset  with  difficulties  and 
dangers  that  few  people  have  ever  cared  to  risk  their 
lives  in  its  vicinity. 

For  fear  of  this  Thunderbird  and  because  fearful 
of  meeting  some  of  its  victims — "stick  Injuns"  or 
Siwash  ghosts — no  real  Siwash  can  be  induced  to  go 
far  back  from  the  coast  into  this  region.  It  is  prob- 
able that  this  mountain  was  longest  in  eruption,  and 
that  about  its  brow  longest  hung  the  peculiar  smoke 
which  always  precedes  and  follows  such  a  phenom- 
enon, and  seeing  this  at  a  great  distance,  the  sur- 
vivors of  that  awful  holocaust  naturally  imagined 
the  (to  them)  awful  Thunderbird  had  settled  there. 
It  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  looked  on 
this  almost  inaccessible  territory  as  holy  ground,  and 
have  ever  since  avoided  it,  except  at  such  times  as 
expeditions  were  organized  to  bear  gifts  to  the 
Thunderbird. 

Some  tribes,  notably  the  Old  Man  House  tribe, 
were  bolder  in  these  incursions.  Some,  notably  the 
Twana  or  Skokomish,  were  very  timid,  and  can  never 
be  induced  even  to  this  day  to  go  into  the  interior. 
This  latter  tribe  worshipped  symbols  of  the  Thun- 
derbird, and  laid  gifts  before  these  symbols,  being 
idolaters  pure  and  simple.  This  they  do  in  secret  to 
this  day.  They  have  a  reservation  of  about  six 
thousand  acres  at  the  mouth  of  the  Skokomish  River 


64  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

on  Hood's  Canal,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Olympia, 
and  there  the  remnant  of  a  once  large  tribe 
exists.  They  formerly  occupied  all  the  beach  from 
Port  Townsend  to  Olympia  and  the  comparatively 
low  lands  south  of  and  around  Lake  Cushman. 
They  absorbed  two  other  tribes,  the  Duklaylips  and 
Tuilcenes,  and  for  many  generations  kept  up  pub- 
licly, even  as  now  secretly,  their  symbolic  form  of 
worship.  Images  of  the  Thunderbird,  some  of  them 
four  or  five  feet  in  length  and  of  horrible  aspect, 
recently  have  been  found  in  the  woods  of  this  region. 
Thus  will  the  reader  better  understand  the  Siwash 
and  his  religion,  which  is  a  spiritual  superstition  of  the 
most  hideous  description,  calling  at  times  for  bloody 
deeds  of  sacrifice,  although  the  Siwash,  when  not 
fired  by  this  belief,  was  naturally  jolly,  harmless  and 
inclined  to  make  friends  of  the  white  race.  It  was 
the  last  of  the  royal  house  of  Sealth  or  Seattle  of  the 
Duwamish  dynasty  that  old  Festus  and  young  Rex 
were  now  about  to  visit.  As  the  story  unfolds,  a 
better  understanding  of  it  will  be  gained  by  those 
who  have  most  carefully  read  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE     PRINCESS    IN    A     TRANCE A    WEIRD    POTLATCH     OR 

FEAST   SONG ASTONISHING   REVELATIONS 

When  our  two  friends  reached  the  shack  of  Prin- 
cess Angeline,  they  were  admitted  by  her  grandson. 
Through  an  open  door,  in  an  adjoining  room,  the 
Princess  could  be  seen  in  her  ordinary  street  cos- 
tume— heavy  shoes,  an  old  skirt  under  which  a 
flannel  or  blanket  petticoat  showed,  and  a  heavy 
shawl  or  blanket  about  her  shoulders  and  over  her 
head.  From  under  this,  her  grizzled  locks  pro- 
truded, and  her  poor  old  face  looked  unusually  hag- 
gard. She  was  sitting  Siwash  or  tailor  fashion  on 
a  low  bench,  and,  with  eyes  half-shut  and  glittering 
in  the  dim  light,  swayed  herself  slowly  backward 
and  forward,  monotonously  crooning  in  her  own  dia- 
lect, her  manner  suggestive  of  communion  with 
spirits.  No  doubt  the  events  of  the  day  had  consider- 
ably shocked  the  poor  old  creature,  and  her  excite- 
ment, though  deadened  to  a  certain  extent  by  the 
liquor  some  one  had  with  the  kindest  intention  given 
her,  was  not  liable  to  soon  pass  away. 

Uncle  Festus  seemed  unwilling  to  intrude,  but 
Rex  walked  in  and,  with  a  cheery  salutation,  squat- 
ted down  not  far  from  her,  extending  his  hand, 
in  which  was  a  bag  of  assorted  fruits  and  confections. 
Without  seeming  to  know  what  she  was  doing, 
Angeline  took  the  parcel  and  set  it  near  her.     Then, 

65 


66  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

without  salutation,  she  resumed  her  crooning.  Rex 
grasped  the  situation,  and  taking  the  knotty  old 
hand,  inquired  in  Chinook:  "Did  Angeline  see  her 
father  to-day?" 

The  onl)T  reply  was,  ' '  Utchidah !  Utchidah  !  Nika 
Papa!  Hias  Klosh!"  a  free  translation  of  which  is, 
"Wonderful !  Wonderful!  A  perfect  picture  of  my 
dear  father."  She  repeated  this  many  times, 
occasionally  emitting  a  deep  moan.  Suddenly  her 
expression  of  stupid  sorrow  changed  to  one  of 
joyous  elation,  and  in  Chinook  she  began  chant- 
ing praise  of  her  ancestry,  more  particularly  of  her 
father  and  grandfather.  This  chant,  if  translated 
into  English,  would  lose  even  the  grandeur  intended 
by  its  authors.  It  was  evidently  a  savage  folk  or 
feast  song,  used  perhaps  hundreds  of  times  at 
the  various  family  or  tribal  potlatches  or  gift 
feasts.  It  recited  how  old  Sealth  or  Seattle  the 
First  had  come  to  the  tribe  of  Old  Man  House,  as 
did  Joseph  to  the  Pharaohs — a  menial;  how  he  had 
risen  by  his  merit  to  become  chief  among  the  ser- 
vants of  the  royal  household,  and  had  thereby 
incurred  the  envy  of  his  fellows  from  other  tribes; 
how  he  had  finally  become  an  interpreter  of  the 
visions  of  the  priests,  or  Tamahnawis  men,  and  was 
in  a  fair  way  to  supplant  the  greatest  of  them,  when 
they  conspired  to  send  this  formidable  rival  away. 
Thereat  he  had  retired,  and  communing  with  the 
Tamahnawis  or  Thunderbird  in  the  high  mountains, 
had  received  a  revelation  to  the  effect  that  the 
Thunderbird  was  about  to  descend,  but  that  a  certain 
gift  laid  at  his  door  would  appease  the  impending 


limn  "'I'lfiiisiiiiJiiiiiii^^ 

nil  r 

mi' ' 


THE  PRINCESS  UNWITTINGLY  REVEALS  A  SECRET. 
67 


6S  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

wrath.  This  gift  Seattle  soon  secured.  It  was  a 
pair  of  elk  horns  of  a  size  incredible ;  the  tallest  man 
of  the  tribe  when  standing  between  the  branches  with 
uplifted  hand  could  scarcely  touch  the  base  or  crotch 
of  these  horns.  Seattle  the  First  transported  these 
with  great  care  up  into  the  lofty  mountains,  and 
with  the  aid  of  certain  inferior  slaves  hung  them  up 
before  the  cavern  or  crater  from  which  the  Thun- 
derbird  was  expected  to  issue.  The  intent  was  that 
they  should  catch  the  eye  of  the  ogre  as  he  came  forth, 
and  he,  being  thereby  appeased,  would  either  re-enter 
or  sail  out  across  the  wide  waters  to  commit  his 
depredations  in  some  other  portion  of  the  earth. 
Having  accomplished  this,  Seattle  the  First  had  re- 
turned in  triumphant  peace,  and  as  no  attacks  from 
the  Thunderbird  followed,  his  wise  forethought  and 
daring  greatly  elevated  him  in  the  estimation  of 
his  masters  and  fellows.  Active  in  war  and  fore- 
most in  pursuit  of  game  and  fish,  he  invented  many 
new  ways  of  curing  fish  and  game  and  also  devised 
canims  or  canoes,  as  well  as  paddles,  greatly  superior 
to  any  before  known. 

While  chanting  this  triumphant  episode  in  the 
career  of  her  ancestor,  the  aged  princess  appar- 
ently renewed  her  youth.  Her  voice  gathered  in 
volume  and  intensity  of  utterance  until  it  thrilled  the 
two  listeners.  Suddenly  she  stopped,  and  pulling 
her  shawl  over  her  face,  bent  low  before  the  fire. 
For  full  five  minutes  she  sat  thus  and  her  visitors 
believed  her  asleep  until,  with  a  quick  motion, 
she  became  partially  erect  again,  and  with  eyes 
brighter  than  they  had  ever  seen  them,  commenced 


THE  PRINCESS  IN  A  TRANCE  69 

a  series  of  passes  with  her  crooked  old  hands.  Some- 
times her  motion  was  from  right  to  left,  with  hands 
outstretched  as  far  as  she  could  reach.  Again  she 
shrank  to  one  side,  putting  up  her  hands  as  if  to  pro- 
tect her  head,  while  from  between  the  withered  lips 
came  a  sibilant,  bird-like  cry.  Xo  ventriloquist 
could  have  thrown  voice  or  whistle  with  more  star- 
tling effect;  at  times  the  notes,  plaintive  and  piping 
as  those  of  a  newly-batched  fledgling,  came  from  the 
farthest  corner  of  the  room,  or  from  beneath  the 
boards  of  the  floor ;  again  from  the  rafters,  and  again 
from  underneath  the  chair  where  Uncle  Festus  sat. 

Even  as  these  notes  quivered  on  the  air,  there  came 
a  whirring  sound,  clear  and  sharp,  like  the  scream  of 
an  eagle  descending  on  its  prey ;  and  this  changed  to 
a  louder  and  shriller  note  that  threatened  to  pierce 
the  ear-drums.  This  was  followed  by  a  suc- 
cession of  snarls,  like  those  of  an  angry  cat, 
and  while  these  sounded  in  their  ears,  that  far- 
away look  came  into  the  poor  old  eyes,  the  withered 
lips  began  to  move  and  the  chanting  was  re- 
sumed. 

While  the  other  chant  had  been  of  triumph,  this 
was  of  fear  and  apprehension.  It  recited  the  fact  that 
Seattle  the  First  had  become  hy  as  tyee  and  a  father. 
Later  it  introduced  Sealth  the  Second,  or  Seattle 
the  Great,  as  a  child.  It  told  of  his  prestige  as  a 
prince.  Occasionally  this  chant  was  interrupted  by 
the  angry  notes  of  a  far-away  bird,  and  at  each  inter- 
ruption these  notes  waxed  yet  more  strident  and 
angry,  whereby  her  audience  understood  the  Thnn- 
derbird    was   making    threats   and   becoming   very 


70  REX  WAYLANDS  FORTUNE 

angry,  because  proper  gifts  and  sacrifices  had  not 
been  left  at  his  cavern. 

Here  were  suddenly  introduced  into  the  chant,  two 
white  people,  a  man  and  a  woman,  and  three  mys- 
terious metal  chests,  or  boxes.  These  had  appar- 
ently been  long  in  the  palace,  where  they  were 
looked  upon  as  great  treasures,  and  it  was  because 
they  had  not  been  sacrificed  to  the  Thunderbird  that 
his  anger  had  been  aroused. 

How  long  the  palace  had  possessed  these  treasures 
the  chant  did  not  recite  definitely,  for  the  Siwash  in 
his  loftiest  flights  of  bravado  or  his  most  plain  state- 
ments rarely  expresses  definite  idea  of  time.  The 
anger  of  the  Thunderbird  was  increasing,  and  threat- 
ening cries  were  more  frequently  interjected.  But 
now  a  council  was  in  session — a  council  of  the  wise 
men  and  chiefs,  or  tyees,  during  which  the  Thunder- 
bird grew  very  vociferous.  This  council  decided 
that  a  potlatch,  or  gift  of  the  two  white  slaves  and  the 
three  bright  chests  must  be  made.  As  soon  as  that 
decision  was  arrived  at,  the  notes  of  the  Thunder- 
bird began  to  grow  softer,  and  finally  ceased,  while 
the  chant  proceeded. 

Here  Sealth  the  Great,  or  Seattle  the  vSecond,  fig- 
ured more  prominently  and  loud  was  the  acclaim 
when  he  stepped  into  the  council  and  offered  to  head 
an  expedition  that  should  bear  this  magnificent  offer- 
ing to  the  cave  of  the  Thunderbird.  Then  followed 
a  tender  parting  between  Sealth  First  and  Second, 
which  was  succeeded  by  the  terrors  of  a  march  over 
crags  and  peaks,  through  snow  and  along  icy 
glaciers,  until  at  last  the  crater  was  reached.     Here 


THE  PRINCESS  IN  A  TRANCE  71 

the  gifts  were  presented  in  proper  form,  after  which 
came  the  journey  home.  Much  was  made  of  this 
expedition,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  chosen  band 
were  described  at  great  length.  The  arrival  at  the 
coast,  the  meeting  of  father  and  son,  the  acclaims  of 
the  people,  all  made  a  really  pretty  description,  much 
more  vivid  than  could  be  expected  in  the  Chinook. 
It  had  to  be  aided  by  certain  interjections  in  DuWam- 
ish,  which  Uncle  Festus  translated  to  Rex.  As  the 
chant  ceased,  the  old  woman  swooned  and  lay  in  the 
dim  light,  her  limbs  twitching,  her  face  convulsed. 
Her  visitors,  becoming  alarmed,  were  about  to  lift 
her  up,  when  she  straightened  out  and  awakened  as 
if  from  a  sleep. 

"Klahowyah!  Bebe  Ack !  Klahowyah!  Clapoot- 
chus  Hintipso!"  The  old  woman  looked  pleased, 
and  wearily  arose. 

"Been  asleep,  aunty?"  questioned  Rex.  She 
looked  puzzled,  but  finally  answered  by  a  vigorous 
nod.  She  then  turned  her  attention  to  the  fruit, 
and  was  as  sociable  as  she  had  ever  been.  The  con- 
versation was  mainly  between  Rex  and  the  Princess. 
Uncle  Festus  sat  in  deep  thought.  Even  after  they 
had  left  the  cabin  and  were  strolling  homeward  he 
was  still  silent  and  moody. 

"What's  the  matter,  Uncle  Festus?  Did  the 
Princess'  catnip  fit  affect  you?  Why  don't  you  say 
something?" 

The  old  man  made  no  direct  answer,  but  taking 
Rex's  arm  said:  "What's  the  use  o'  stumblin'  along 
up  this  beach?  Let's  go  up  on  Second  street  an' 
walk  home  in  the  light.     The  tide's  a-comin'  in,  too. 


72  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Come  on. "  Here  they  walked  in  silence  for  some 
distance,  when  Rex  finally  remarked: 

"Say,  Uncle  Festus!  What  do  you  really  think  of 
that  yarn  of  hers?  Was  she  in  a  trance  and  telling 
the  truth,  or  was  that  heathen  theatrical  performance 
invented  just  to  impress  us?" 

"My  boy,"  said  the  old  man  solemnly,  "I've  heerd 
all  that  afore,  not  as  a  chant  or  Siwash  rhapsodee,  but 
in  plain  Duwamish  without  trimmins  from  old  man 
Seattle  himself.  Thar's  more  to  it  than  you  think, 
an'  even  more'n  he  knew,  as  he  admitted  to  me. 
This  here's  another  thing  I  don't  want  ye  to  say 
anythin'  about.     What  time  is  it?" 

"Only  a  little  after  nine,  Uncle." 

"An'  we're  purty  near  my  shack.  D'ye  s'pose 
yer  ma'd  be  worried  about  ye,  if  ye  kim  in  fer  a  half 
hour?  I'll  tell  ye  the  rest  an'  chance  it.  That  is, 
if  ye'll  promise  to  keep  it  secret.  But  sho!  What's 
the  use  o'  askin'  ye?  I  know  ye  will.  Come  'long 
in." 


CHAPTER   X 

UNCLE  FESTUS  TELLS  WHAT   THEY  .MEAN 

"Now  this  is  a  short  story,"  remarked  Uncle  Fes- 
tus  as  seating  himself  on  his  bunk  he  lighted  his 
pipe;  "but  it  strikes  me  as  corroboratin'  jest  what 
we've  heerd  to-night.  To  tell  the  truth,  boy,  I 
didn't  expect  to  hear  exactly  what  we  did.  I  ex- 
pected a  leetle  more  o'  Nika  Papa's  doin's  an'  a  leetle 
more  definite  information  concernin'  the  location 
of  that  there  blarsted  crater.  As  'twas,  we  got 
more  glory  and  less  real  solid  information  than  I 
wanted.  This  information  is  what  I've  ben  arter 
fer  thirty  year,  an'  it's  what  I'll  hev  yet,  too,  or  my 
name  ain't  Ichabod  Benjamin  Franklin  Estus. 

"But  to  begin  with.  I  kim  here  in  June  of  '64, 
jest  two  year  afore  old  Seattle  died,  as  you'll  find  by 
consultin'  his  grave-stun  over  there  in  the  Injun 
cemetery  at  Port  Madison.  I'd  ben  wounded  an'  a 
prisoner,  as  ye  know,  in  the  rebel  prisons,  an'  I  hed 
the  scurvy  so  as  to  be  purty  well  run  down.  The 
voyage  hed  helped  me  some,  but  I  wasn't  strong 
enough  to  work,  an'  so  all  the  first  summer  I  loafed, 
I  got  acquainted  with  ole  Bill  Deshaw,  a  squaw  man 
an'  a  sub-Injun  agent,  over  to  Port  Madison.  He 
come  three  year  afore  I  did,  an'  is  livin'  over  there 
with  a  passel  o'  his  half-breeds  yit,  a-runnin'  a  small 
store.  Wall,  Bill  alius  has  been  a  sociable  feller, 
an'  I  liked  to  hang  'round  his  place,  which  I  did, 

73 


74  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

There  I  met  all  the  Siwash,  an'  there  I  learned  the 
language.  I  was  only  about  twenty-five  year  old  in 
them  days,  an'  as  I  begun  to  git  better,  I  was  quite 
chipper.  Now,  if  there's  anybody  a  Siwash  likes, 
it's  a  chipper,  off-hand  sort  o'  feller.  They  may  not 
have  much  to  say  to  him,  mebbe  hardly  speak,  but 
if  he  handles  'em  'bout  right,  an'  don't  play  no  jokes 
on  'em,  they'll  hang  'round  an'  listen  to  his  stories 
like  a  lot  o'  children.  Old  Sealth  an'  some  o'  the 
other  chiefs  'ud  jest  hang  'round  me  fer  hours 
listenin'.  Old  Sealth  'ud  never  laugh,  but  I  knowed 
by  his  eyes  he  understood,  an'  I  think  now  he 
alius  understood  both  English  an'  Chinook.  He 
purtended,  however,  he  didn't  know  nothin'  but 
Duwamish,  an'  it  was  jest  to  flatter  him  that  I  larned 
that  jargon,  which  is  nearer  a  language  than  any  other 
on  'em  'round  here.  Ole  Bill  Deshaw  married  one  o' 
the  granddarters  o'  the  ole  chief,  an'  possible  they 
thought  I  was  goin'  to  marry  another,  which  is  some- 
thin'  the  Injuns  all  seem  to  desire  'round  here,  but 
I  never  was  much  on  the  marry,  an'  ef  I  was,  a  plain 
white  womern  'ud  suit  me  better'n  even  a  Siwash 
princess. 

"Wall,  I  stood  in  well.  Angyline  at  that  time 
uster  come  an'  go.  Part  o'  the  time  she  was 
livin'  over  here  in  Seattle,  an'  part  the  time  over 
there.  She  was  a  widow  then,  an'  a  purty  good- 
lookin'  sort  of  a  klootchman.  Ole  Bill  Deshaw  he 
was  a  rank  copperhead  an'  a  red  hot  pro-slavery 
man.  I  was  on  t'other  side  an'  lied  fit  in  the  war. 
Bill  hadn't,  an'  when  we  hed  our  discussions,  I  uster 
poke  it  inter  him  that  he  run  away  up  here  to  avoid 


FESTUS  AND  REX  DISCUSS  THE  SIWASH  TREASURE. 

75 


76  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

the  war.  I'm  sure  ole  Seattle  uster  understand  an' 
as  he  hed  a  great  respect  fer  a  warrior,  even  though 
he  was  a  lover  o'  peace,  I  think  he  liked  me  better 
fer  it.  At  any  rate,  when  he  was  in  his  last  sickness 
he  wanted  to  see  me  an'  I  went  back  over  from 
Seattle  an'  was  with  him  in  his  last  hours,  even 
more'n  Deshaw  an'  the  rest. 

"One  night  the  ole  feller  felt  a  little  stronger  an' 
in  Duwamish  he  told  me  all  about  that  trip  up  into 
the  mountains,  an'  declared  that  that  crater,  where 
he  an'  the  rest  put  the  white  couple  an'  their  gold 
chists — fer  I  alius  shall  believe  them  chists  was 
treasure  chists — was  in  a  squar'  peak  atween  Mount 
Constance  an'  Mount  Olympus.  He  said  there  was 
a  little  lake  there,  one  o'  them  old  craters  filled  up 
with  water,  an'  that  the  Thunderbird  uster  kim  up 
through  that  lake,  which  hadn't  no  bottom.  The 
ole  feller  never  explained  to  me  how  the  water 
stayed  in  when  it  hed  no  bottom,  an'  I  never  ast 
him.  You  must  remember  that  the  ole  man  was 
only  'bout  sixteen  year  old  when  he  went  up  there  on 
that  expedition,  an'  he  was  'bout  eighty-five  when  he 
died  in  '66.  So  I  calculate  they  must  a  put  them 
people  in  there  about  1790  to  1795.  An'  now  comes 
the  part  Angyline  didn't  tell,  but  which  the  ole  man 
did: 

"Ole  Sealth  First,  or  Chief  Sealth's  father,  got 
them  two  white  people  about  twenty-five  year  afore 
they  finally  sacrificed  'em,  which  I'm  led  to  believe 
by  certain  other  things  he  dropped.  This  man  an' 
womern — fer  they  was  a  man  an'  womern — I  kalker- 
late  was  some  o'  them  Spaniards  what  uster  kim  up 


UNCLE  FESTUS  TELLS  WHAT  THEY  MEAN     7? 

here  'fore  Vancoover  or  Juan  de  Fuca  or  any  o'  the 
resto'  the  early  French, Spanish  or  English  explorers. 
These  two  folks  kim  in  a  small  ship  an'  seven 
others  with  'em.  They  was  a-tradin'  along  down 
the  Sound,  exchangin'  gew-gaws  an'  frippery  an' 
blankets  an'  sich  with  the  Injuns  fer  gold  an'  otter 
skins.  They  wanted  nothin'  but  gold  an'  sea-otter 
skins,  an'  they  must  a  got  lots  o'  dust,  all  of  which, 
I'm  satisfied,  went  inter  them  three  bright  boxes. 
These  people  kim  in  'bout  three  or  four  year  afore 
Sealth  or  Seattle  the  Great  was  born.  That's  the 
reason  I'm  able  to  kalkerlate  how  long  they  was  held 
as  slaves.  It  seemed  Seattle  the  First  didn't  hev 
nerve  enough  or  wasn't  mean  enough  to  wanter 
slaughter  'em,  but  some  o'  the  other  chiefs  per- 
swaded  him  to  give  his  consent  to  the  job. 

"The  time  it  happened  they  was  anchored  off  Old 
Man  House  right  near  Agate  Passage,  an'  by  some 
hocus-pocus  six  on  'em  was  enticed  on  shore.  Well, 
these  six  was  set  on  an'  murdered,  an'  then  another 
band  o'  Sivvash  started  out  in  canims  to  git  the  other 
three  an'  all  the  gew-gaws  an'  the  ship  an'  the  gold, 
an'  I  dunno  what  all.  Ye  see,  they  never  knowed 
the  value  o'  gold  afore,  an'  they  argued  that  if  it 
was  worth  so  much  an'  any  other  white  man  kim 
along  with  more  gew-gaws  they'd  be  in  position  fer 
trade. 

"The  three  aboard  the  schooner  see 'emcomin' an' 
blazed  away  with  some  blunderbusses,  at  the  same 
time  histin'  sail,  an'  away  they  went  out  toward 
Point  No  Point,  leavin'  a  lot  o'  dead  an'  howlin' 
Siwash   in  a  lot  o'  partly  wrecked  canims.      It  so 


7 8  REX   WAY  LAND'S  FORTUNE 

happened  that  there  was  a  storm  out  on  the  straits 
that  night,  an'  the  schooner  was  driv  in  an'  stuck 
in  the  mud  o'  Useless  Bay  over  near  Skagit  Head. 
I've  alius  thought  the  wind  mebbe  driv  'em  back 
an'  they  wan't  wrecked,  but  went  in  there  at 
high  tide  without  takin'  soundin's,  an'  when  the  tide 
went  out  was  stuck  an'  listed  over,  fer  ye  know  that 
Useless  Bay  is  a  terror  that  way  to  this  day — not  like 
Holmes  Harbor  or  any  o'  the  bights  'long  up 
t'other  side  o'  Whidby.  Anyway,  there  they  was 
an'  there  ole  Skagit  found  'em.  an'  they  was  inclined 
to  help  'em  out,  when  'round  the  other  side  o'  the 
island  comes  a  messenger  from  ole  Sealth,  savin' 
the  prisoners  was  his  an'  he  wanted  'em. 

"Now,  Skagit  was  a  dependent  o'  Sealth's,  an'he 
hed  to  give  in.  Therefore,  while  pertendin'  to  help 
'em,  he  reely  took  'em  to  shore  an'  later  Sealth  called 
'round  and  got  'em.  How  it  was  I  don't  know,  but 
when  he  comes  fer  'em  there  wasn't  but  two,  where 
he'd  expected  three — the  clapootchus  hintipso,  or 
long-beard,  havin'  mysteriously  disappeared.  This 
kim  nearbringin'  on  awaratween  Skagit  an'  Sealth, 
but  they  finally  patched  up  a  peace,  Skagit  givin' 
one  o'  his  darters  to  Sealth.  That  darter  was  the 
mother  o'  Seattle  the  Great. 

"She  was  an  imperious  young  squaw  an'  an  imperi- 
ous old  one,  an'  she  alius  insisted  the  white  klootch- 
man  belonged  to  her  an'  kep'  her  roun'  her. 
When,  finally,  after  many  threats  from  the  Thunder- 
bird,  it  was  decided  that  the  man  an'  womern  must 
be  sacrificed,  she  raised  Cain.  She  never  forgave 
young  Sealth  fer  actin'  ez  head  man  in  the  expedi- 


UNCLE  FESTUS  TELLS  WHAT  THEY  MEAN     79 

tion  what  took  'em  up,  an'  the  last  thing  she  ever 
did  was  to  steal  from  Sealth  a  diary,  or  book  full  o' 
writin',  which  the  white  man  had  kept,  an'  that  diary 
she  alius  hid,  givin'  it  in  turn,  as  Sealth  believed,  to 
Angyline,  his  darter  an'  her  granddarter.  That 
diary  I've  no  doubt  Angyline' s  got  to  this  blessed 
day.  That  was  what  I  was  hopin'  she'd  a  gin  out 
to-night,  but  she  didn't,  an'  I  dunno's  she  ever  will. 
I  know  Sealth  repented  o'  that  deed  artcrward,  tor 
when  other  Spaniards  come,  arter  ole  Sealth  was 
dead,  he  was  converted  to  a  Catholic,  an'  I  think 
would  hev  trusted  a  priest  fur  enough  to  hev  let  him 
translate  that  diary  if  it  hed  been  in  Spanish,  which 
I  persoom  'twas. 

"However,  he  didn't  care  to  make  much  of  a  row 
about  the  book,  fer  old  as  he  was  when  he  died,  an' 
good  Catholic  as  he  was,  he  alius  hed  a  sneakin' 
regard  fer  the  Thunderbird.  I  dunno  but  that  was 
what  made  him  so  durned  cautious  'bout  givin'  up 
the  exact  location  o'  that  crater — he  never  would 
draw  a  map  to  go  by — 'feard  we'd  rob  the  Thunder- 
bird,  ye  know,  an'  it  'ud  all  kim  back  on  him.  But 
I  do  know  he  tole  me  considerable  more  durin'  his 
last  sickness  than  he  ever  hed  afore,  an'  more,  I 
think,  than  he  ever  tole  any  one  else.  Wall,  we  know 
more  about  this  bizness  than  we  did  afore,  an'  I 
guess  you'd  better  putter  on  toward  home.  Of 
course  they  ain't  no  need  o'  my  tellin'  ye  to  keep 
yer  jaw  on  this  matter.  You  wanter  keep  yer  eye 
peeled,  too,  an'  if  ye  do  see  or  hear  anythin'  that 
sets  ye  a-guessin',  jest  come  to  me  an'  we'll  guess 
together. ' ' 


CHAPTER   XI 

A   BEAUTIFUL    NIGHT REX    HAS    STRANGE    DREAMS 

Rex  went  home  from  Uncle  Festus'  cabin  that 
night  more  filled  with  wonder  than  ever  before  in 
all  the  seventeen  years  of  his  life.  It  seemed  to  him 
as  if  he  were  walking  along  in  a  dream,  and  do  what 
he  would,  he  could  hardly  understand  that  he  was  in 
the  flesh.  ■  As  he  reached  the  highest  point  of  Queen 
Anne  Hill,  the  clouds,  which  had  all  the  evening 
hung  low  in  the  south  and  west,  were  swept  north 
by  a  strong,  quick  wind,  and  the  glorious  moon  shed 
its  full  effulgence  far  over  the  sheeny  water,  here 
and  there  still  tossing  and  shooting  up  phosphor- 
escent gleams  toward  the  pale  queen  of  night.  He 
turned  and  stood,  long  gazing  out  toward  the  snow- 
clad  mountains,  which,  as  the  air  cleared,  seemed 
rising  up  through  the  mellow  radiance.  To  the  left, 
mighty  Rainier  proudly  reared  its  majestic  crest 
clean  to  the  yault  of  heaven,  and  seemingly  extended 
its  base  down  through  the  mists  and  fogs  of  the 
Duwamish  flats  out  to  the  city  of  'Seattle,  which  lay 
at  his  feet  with  its  myriad  electric  lights  twinkling 
like  fire-flies.  To  the  right  and  far  out  across  the 
bay  loomed  up  the  broken,  irregular  Olympics,  their 
sharp  crags  and  perpendicular  peaks  cropping  out 
from  underneath  the  gleaming  snow  like  a  mighty 
monster  of  the  deep,  whose  gaunt  form  was  fast 
losing    its   scales   of   silver.      On    these   he   looked 

80 


A  BEAUTIFUL  NIGHT  81 

longest,  and  then  turned  in  at  the  gate  to  find  his 
mother  sitting  beneath  the  rose  vines  on  the  porch. 

"Have  I  kept  you  up,  mother?  I'm  sorry.  I 
forgot  it  was  so  late  and  wasted  a  deal  of  time  moon- 
gazing  out  here  on  the  brow  of  the  hill.  Was  any- 
thing ever  more  beautiful  than  this  night,  mother?" 

"No,  Rex;  I  have  been  waiting  for  you  for  some 
time,  but  such  waiting  with  such  a  view  is  not  a 
waste  of  time.  I  don't  know  where  I  ever  saw  any- 
thing more  beautiful  than  some  nights  out  here.  Sit 
down  a  moment  and  let  us  enjoy  it  together. " 

"As  the  Irishman  said:  'Be  jabbers!  It's  nice  to 
be  alone  whin  yer  swateheart's  wid  ye,'  "  remarked 
Rex  as  he  sat  down  beside  her  and  put  his  arm  about 
her  waist. 

"Yes,  Rex;  so  it  is,"  returned  the  happy  little 
woman,  as  she  nestled  beside  him.  "I  wonder 
where  your  father  is  to-night?" 

"Oh!  he's  down  the  coast  toward  'Frisco  some- 
where. He'll  doubtless  come  in  on  the  morning 
train."  Then  they  sat  silent  awhile,  watching  the 
moon  as  it  settled  down  behind  one  of  the  tallest 
peaks  of  the  Olympics.  It  had  grown  very  red  as  it 
descended,  and  just  as  its  upper  disk  went  out  of 
sight  a  red  gleam  shot  up  from  behind  and  appar- 
ently out  of  the  peak. 

"Oh,  Rex!  Do  you  see  that?  How  much  it  looks 
like  a  volcano  in  eruption!  My  gracious!  I  hope 
nothing  of  that  kind  will  ever  happen  around  here." 

"It  will  never  happen  again,  mother;  none  of 
these  peaks  have  been  volcanoes  for  hundreds  of 
ye*rs,  although  'tis  said  that  rumblings  were  heard 


REX  DREAMS  OF  THE  PRINCESS  ANGELINE. 


A  BEAUTIFUL  NIGHT  83 

in  that  very  mountain  ninety-five  years  or  more  ago. 
That,  however,  was  probably  the  last  kick  of  the 
Thunderbird. " 

"  'Thunderbird'  is  a  good  name  for  it,"  shuddered 
Mrs.  Wayland.  "What  a  horrible  event  an  earth- 
quake and  the  eruption  of  such  lofty  mountains  must 
be!" 

Soon  after  they  retired,  Rex  to  dream  of  Spanish 
galleons,  chests  of  glittering  gold,  swoops  and 
screams  of  a  mighty  Thunderbird,  whose  wings  dark- 
ened the  heavens  and  from  whose  awful  beak  came 
flames  that  lighted  up  the  weird,  troubled  face  of 
poor  old  Angeline  as  she  seemed  to  be  walking  out 
across  the  waters,  from  somewhere  at  the  back  of 
Bainbridge  Island.  ' '  Must  be  she  was  returning  from 
a  trip  over  to  Old  Man  House,"  mused  Rex,  as  he 
lay  awake  the  next  morning. 

All  that  day  her  face  haunted  him,  and  although 
he  went  to  church  and  looked  fixedly  at  the  minister 
throughout  the  sermon,  he  could  not  for  the  life  of 
him  have  told  the  text. 


CHAPTER   XII 

"the  rook!  the  book!     the  Spanish  diary  is  mine!" 

The  next  Saturday  Rex  was  deprived  of  the  com- 
pany of  Uncle  Festus,  who  had  gone  over  to  Olympia 
on  pension  business.  The  old  man  started  Friday 
afternoon,  and  Rex  accompanied  him  as  far  as 
Blakely,  where  the  latter  went  ashore  to  take  a  skiff 
and  shoot  along  up  to  the  north  end  of  the  island.  He 
reached  Dog  Fish  Bay — an  indentation  of  the  penin- 
sula, just  opposite  the  north  end  of  Bainbridge — 
about  twilight,  and  hiding  his  skiff  there,  strolled 
along  up  to  Agate  Passage.  This  passage  is  a  beau- 
tiful spot.  The  channel  between  the  mainland  and  the 
island  is  never,  even  at  high  tide,  more  than  a  thou- 
sand feet  wide,  and  the  contour  of  the  shores  is  such 
that  the  view  from  all  directions  is  one  of  enchant- 
ment. Near  the  site  of  famous  Old  Man  House  and  the 
little  village  Rex  sat  down  to  deliberate.  He  must 
soon  seek  a  shelter  for  the  night.  Supper  he  did  not 
care  for,  as  he  had  brought  that  with  him,  eating  as  he 
came  along,  and  was  not  at  all  hungry  now.  It  was 
a  considerable  distance  across  to  Port  Madison  if  he 
went  back  for  his  boat.  If  not,  he  could  not  cross 
to  Deshaw's  store.  Suddenly  he  noticed  a  Siwash 
canoe  round  the  point  and  come  rapidly  up  along 
shore.  From  where  he  sat  he  could  not  be  seen, 
but  could  see.  The  canoe  was  yet  a  mile  or  more 
away,  but  there  was  something  about  it  that  looked 

84 


"THE  BOOK!  THE  SPANISH  DIARY  IS  MINE!"        85 

familiar.  As  it  came  nearer,  he  saw  another  figure 
beside  the  paddler,  and  that,  too,  looked  familiar.  It 
was  Angeline.     The  paddler  was  her  grandson. 

The  sun  had  kissed  the  small  cross  on  the  Catholic 
church  a  fond  good-night  just  as  Rex  came  up,  and, 
a,  he  sat  there,  he  had  noted  the  stars  coming  out  one 
by  one.  It  was  now  nearly  dark  even  on  the  water, 
and  quite  dark  in  the  shadow  of  the  shore.  He 
would  go  down  to  the  beach  and  as  the  boat  came 
along,  hail  it  and  ask  to  be  put  across.  But  why  was 
Angeline  so  far  from  home?  Where  was  she  going' 
The  canoe  was  coming  in  toward  shore.  What  were 
the  two  about?  He  would  not  show  himself  until 
he  found  out.  He  crept  stealthily  toward  the  beach. 
He  would  hail  them  if  they  kept  out  and  went 
through  the  passage.  But  no.  It  was  coming  in. 
It  was  almost  at  the  beach  directly  before  the  ruins 
of  Old  Man  House.  Angeline  was  climbing  out. 
Xow  was  the  time  to  ask  to  be  put  across.  No.  He 
would  not.  He  would  see  what  she  was  up  to.  As 
her  neavy  shoes  rattled  on  the  pebbles  of  the  beach, 
she  turned,  and  giving  the  canoe  a  push  out,  said 
something  in  Chinook  which  sounded  like:  "I  will 
be  ready  when  you  return."  Of  this  he  was  not 
sure,  but  he  might  as  well  wait  until  then  anyway, 
and  parting  the  bushes  with  his  gun  barrel,  he 
watched  her  as  she  came  directly  toward  him.  She 
held  something  to  her  shrunken  bosom,  and  was 
mumbling  as  she  tottered  along.  As  she  reached 
the  deeper  shadow,  she  prostrated  herself  and  lay 
there  for  a  long  time  moaning.  Just  as  the  moon 
appeared  over  the  trees  on  the  opposite  shore  she 


^Jt£?" 


REX  FINDS  THE  SPANISH  DIARY. 
86 


"THE  BOOK!  THE  SPANISH  DIARY  IS  MINE!"        87 

arose  to  her  knees  and  stretched  her  arms  out  toward 
it.  She  had  shifted  her  position  a  little  while  ly- 
ing down,  and  her  face  was  now  not  only  upturned 
to  the  moon,  but  in  full  view  of  Rex,  who,  while  well 
concealed,  was  not  fifteen  feet  from  her.  He  noted 
how  gray  and  ghastly  she  looked.  The  eyes  some- 
times so  keen  and  glittering  were  now  half-shut  and 
apparently  swollen.  They  had  no  expression  save 
that  of  dull  pain,,  or  semi-consciousness. 

Thus  she  knelt,  looking  long  at  the  moon  through 
her  half-closed  eyes,  in  which  tear-drops  began 
presently  to  sparkle.  Then  the  tears  gushed  forth, 
and  with  a  cry  of  "Nika  Papa!  Nika  Papa!"  she 
sank  down  again.  As  she  once  again  raised  her 
face  she  extended  her  hands,  and  in  them  was  seen  a 
flat  box  of  highly  polished  cedar.  As  she  held  this  up 
she  kept  wailing  in  subdued  tones:  "Nika  Papa! 
Kakii-Silma  klahowyum.  Kum  tux  nika?  Kum 
tux  nika?"  (My  father,  Kakii-Silma  very  wretched. 
Do  you  understand  me?  Do  you  understand  me?) 
This  she  repeated  many  times,  and  finally  casting 
herself  prone  on  the  ground  again,  wailed:  "Nika 
sheen!  Nika  sheen!"  (I  am  ashamed!  I  am 
ashamed!)  This  she  kept  up  for  a  long  time, 
occasionally  rising  to  her  knees,  gazing  earnestly  at 
the  moon,  and  then  going  down  again  to  mutter  and 
grovel  before  its  impassive  face. 

Finally  she  became  calmer,  and  picking  up  the 
box  staggered  along  the  beach  a  few  yards  to 
the  base  of  what  looked  like  a  tall  stub,  broken 
over  toward  the  bluff.  Here  she  delved  frantically 
with  her  bare  hands,  all  the  time  whining,  crying 


88  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

and  moaning.  The  depth  of  the  pit  seemed  finally 
to  satisfy  her,  and  arising,  she  held  tip  the  box  to 
the  moonlight,  at  the  same  time  gabbling  excitedly 
in  Duwamish,  a  language  Rex  could  hardly  under- 
stand, but  from  which  he  gathered  that  she  was  tell- 
ing how  she  was  returning  the  box  to  the  place  from 
whence  it  was  taken.  This  she  did,  and  carefully 
scraped  in  the  earth,  smoothing  off  the  cache  with  the 
most  exquisite  nicety  and  throwing  on  top  some  larger 
stones  to  hide  the  traces  of  the  recent  disturbance. 
Then  she  tottered  out  along  the  beach  to  another 
stub,  which  Rex  recognized  as  a  totem  pole.  This 
she  clasped,  and  then  backing  off  prostrated  herself 
before  it.  As  she  lay  there  on  the  ground,  Rex  heard 
first  a  faint  chirp  and  then  others,  some  apparently 
from  the  brush  where  he  was  hiding.  These  chirp- 
ings increased  in  volume  until  the  gloomy  woods 
seemed  full  of  small  birds,  and  he  half  expected  to 
see  them  issue  out  in  the  moonlight,  but  none 
appeared,  and  gradually  the  sounds  grew  fainter  and 
finally  died  away.  At  the  last  faint  note  the  Princess 
arose,  and,  stretching  her  arms  out  toward  the  moon 
once  more,  waved  her  hands  as  if  to  show  their  empti- 
ness, while  her  face  looked  almost  beautified.  She 
was  at  last  at  peace.  Restitution  had  been  made  for 
some  theft  of  former  years,  and  her  heathen  mind  was 
satisfied  that  her  father's  spirit  looked  down  and  gave 
her  absolution.  Finally  she  tottered  to  the  place 
where  she  had  landed,  and  squatted  down.  The  tide 
was  at  its  full,  and  the  wavelets  lapped  the  pebbles 
at  her  feet  with  a  soothing  sound.  Her  head  settled 
lower  and  lower,  and  soon  she  fell  asleep. 


"THE  BOOK!  THE  SPANISH  DIARY  IS  MINE!"        89 

Rex  did  not  care  to  sit  there  all  night  watching 
her.  Neither  did  he  dare  make  his  presence  known. 
He  finally  decided  to  steal  through  the  bushes 
along  the  beach  to  the  small  village,  where  he  hoped 
to  obtain  a  night's  lodging,  and  was  about  to  set  out, 
when  he  heard  a  sharp  whistle  from  the  canoe 
headed  straight  to  the  place  where  the  old  woman 
sat  asleep.  As  the  boat  came  nearer,  the  grandson 
called  out,  but  Angeline  slept  on.  The  young  man 
got  out  of  the  canoe,  and  walking  up  to  her,  shook 
her.  The  hands  unclasped  from  about  the  knees 
and  Angeline  fell  over  sidewise,  but  did  not  awaken. 
The  young  man  bent  down,  gathered  her  up  in  his 
strong  arms,  laid  her  in  the  canoe,  spread  an  old 
slicker  over  her,  and  taking  up  his  paddle  moved 
away,  even  more  silently  than  he  had  come. 

For  a  long  time  Rex  lay  there  in  the  moonlight, 
but  heard  no  sound  save  the  leaping  salmon  in  the 
water,  the  moan  of  the  night  wind  in  the  trees,  and 
the  plash  of  the  wavelets  on  the  broadening  beach, 
for  the  tide  was  going  out  fast.  Could  any  one  else 
have  seen  this  mysterious  performance?  He  was 
quite  sure  not,  but  he  would  wait  longer,  and  wait 
he  did  for  nearly  an  hour.  Once  he  heard  the  dogs 
over  at  Deshaw's  give  vociferous  tongue,  but  soon 
this  disturbance  ceased,  and  he  resolved  to  investi- 
gate that  cache.  He  crept  along,  and  removing  the 
coarser  gravel  from  the  top,  began  to  dig  with  scarce 
less  feverish  haste  than  the  Princess  had  shown. 
Soon  his  fingers  touched  the  box,  and  laying  it  aside, 
he  carefully  filled  in  the  hole.  Then  catching  up  the 
box,  he  fled  like  a  guilty  thief  to  the  deeper  shadow 


90  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

of  the  brush.  He  dared  not  build  a  fire  nor  light  a 
match  to  survey  his  treasure.  What  was  it?  He 
half  guessed,  but  could  not  be  sure.  He  examined 
it  as  best  he  could  in  the  moonlight  and  found  it  to 
be  a  neatly-made  box  with  no  visible  nails  or  screws, 
thus  looking  more  like  a  block  of  cedar  than  a  box. 
Its  corners  were  rounded,  and  it  was  some  twelve 
inches  in  length  by  about  eight  in  width  and  four  in 
depth.  A  small,  notched  peg  protruded  from  one 
side.  This  he  pulled,  but  it  did  not  give.  He  pushed 
it,  and  it  went  in  but  sprang  out  again.  He  pushed  it 
once  more  and  the  lid  of  the  box  came  off  in  his  hands. 
Before  him  was  a  book  of  some  ancient  leather  bind- 
ing, with  leaves  of  vellum  or  sheepskin.  These  leaves 
were  thick  and  closely  written  with  ink  of  a  reddish 
tinge.  It  was  not  light  enough  to  read  this  writing 
or  to  judge  whether  it  was  English,  Spanish  or  Ger- 
man. He  must  wait  for  the  light.  He  put  the 
precious  volume  in  the  capacious  pocket  of  his 
hunting-coat,  and  snapping  the  box  shut  by  pushing 
the  cover  past  the  spring  or  peg,  he  crept  to  the 
standard  and  reburied  it.  Then  he  sneaked  back 
into  the  shadow  and  curling  down  among  the  bushes, 
lay  there  shaking  and  shivering  from  nervousness, 
all  the  time  repeating  to  himself:  "The  book!  The 
book!  The  Spaniard's  diary  is  mine!  I'll  get  that 
gold  yet!  That's  what  I'll  do,  and  all  the  Siwash 
this  side  of  Jordan  can't  prevent  it.  Let  'em  try! 
Let  'em  try!"  It  was  not  until  near  morning  that 
he  fell  asleep.  His  bed  was  a  cold  one,  and  his 
slumber  was  troubled. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

UNCLE  FESTUS  SAYS:    "RETURN    THE  BOOK*' 

Rex  was  awakened  at  dawn  by  the  hoarse  whistle 
of  an  incoming  tug,  and  sprang  to  his  feet  like  a 
fugitive.  The  volume  in  his  pocket  swung  heavily 
against  him,  and  he  glanced  nervously  about  in  the 
faint  light  as  if  fearful  that  some  one  was  bent  upon 
taking  his  treasure  from  him.  He  was  hungry  and 
very  cold,  and  longed  to  go  out  to  a  cabin  along 
shore,  but  he  dared  not.  He  must  not  be  seen  near 
Old  Man  House.  Some  one  might  suspect  some- 
thing. He  must  be  far  away  from  there  before  day- 
light. He  ran  back  along  the  beach,  stumbling- 
over  the  boulders,  bruising  his  shins  and  hands.  A 
logging  road  led  back  into  the  woods,  and  into  this 
he  darted,  running  faster  as  the  light  came  on.  In 
a  short  time  he  had  reached  a  clearing  and  saw  a 
ranch-house,  out  of  the  chimney  of  which  the  smoke 
of  an  early  fir-wood  fire  was  rolling  in  a  dense  vol- 
ume. Some  one  was  up.  He  would  make  a  strike 
for  breakfast.  Luckily  he  was  unknown  to  the 
rancher,  and  while  he  sat  at  breakfast  told  a  plausi- 
ble story  of  getting  belated  in  the  woods  and  lying 
out  all  night.  The  rancher,  who  was  "baching  it," 
was  full  of  pity,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
Rex  persuaded  him  to  take  a  two-bit  piece  for  the 
meal.  To  satisfy  his  conscience  for  this  extortion, 
as  he  viewed  it,  the  rancher  insisted  on  Rex  filling 

91 


92  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

his  pockets  with  bread,  meat  and  apples,  sufficient 
for  noon  lunch  and  evening  meal. 

Having  agreed  to  meet  Uncle  Festus  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  island  on  his  return,  and  having  hidden 
his  skiff  in  Dog  Fish  Bay  that  he  might  row  down 
Rex  was  obliged  to  make  his  way  once  more  to 
the  beach  and  go  up  as  near  the  Indian  vil- 
lage and  Old  Man  House  as  Dog  Fish  Bay.  This 
he  dreaded,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  He  met 
no  one,  and,  securing  his  skiff,  rowed  boldly  out  to 
the  south,  hunting  alongshore  and  reaching  Blakely 
about  10  a.m.  He  had  never  visited  the  great  mills 
there,  and  under  ordinary  circumstances  would  have 
improved  the  opportunity,  but  as  it  was,  he  felt  loath 
to  speak  to  any  one  or  to  be  seen.  He  therefore 
rowed  out  toward  Vashon,  and  lay  there  awaiting  the 
appearance  of  the  steamer  which  would  bring  Uncle 
Festus.  He  was  a  mile  or  more  from  land.  Why 
would  not  this  be  a  good  opportunity  to  look  at  the 
book?  He  pulled  it  forth,  but  put  it  hastily  back  as 
he  fancied  he  saw  some  one  on  shore  with  a  long 
glass  leveled  at  him.  At  this  instant  a  puff  of  smoke 
and  later  a  report  proved  the  supposed  telescope  to  be 
a  fowling-piece,  and  the  supposed  watcher  some  stroll- 
ing hunter  along  the  north  end  of  Vashon.  At  any 
other  time  Rex  would  have  laughed  at  his  foolish 
fears,  but  now  he  could  not  see  the  comic  side  of 
things,  and  with  a  sigh  slowly  pulled  forth  the  book 
again,  holding  it  low  in  the  boat  while  examining  it. 

It  was  indeed  a  quaint  volume.  Its  sides  or  covers 
were  of  elk-hide,  two  or  three  thicknesses  being  glued 
together  to  secure  the  necessary  rigidity  of  case.    The 


I  HOPE  YE  AIN'T  BEEN  STEALIN' 
98 


94  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

edges  had  been  rubbed  and  polished  with  dog-fish 
skin  or  some  other  rude  sandpaper  to  clear  them 
of  traces  of  glue,  but  as  the  glue  had  been  of  Siwash 
manufacture  from  deer  hoofs,  it  was  thick  and  plainly 
showed  the  several  layers  of  elk-hide.  The  propor- 
tions of  the  case  or  covers  were  good,  and  the  back- 
ing was  put  on  quite  neatly  for  so  rough  a  job.  The 
vellum  leaves  were  evidently  of  deer-skin,  tanned, 
and  while  as  thin  as  it  was  possible  to  make  them 
with  rough  tools,  were  still  much  thicker  than  sheep 
or  lamb  skin  would  have  been.  The  sewing  of  these 
leaves,  all  of  which  were  double,  was  similar  to  the 
sewing  in  of  sections  of  any  book  and  a  very  credit- 
able job  when  we  consider  that  deer-sinews  were  the 
thread,  and  the  needle,  without  doubt,  a  thorn  or 
sharp  bone.  A  strong  cord  of  twisted  deer-sinews 
was  carried  back  and  forth  across  the  gathered  leaves, 
and  to  this  the  sewing  of  the  leaves  or  sections  was 
tied^  In  turn,  these  cross-pieces  were  also  sewed 
through  to  the  backbone  of  the  volume.  It  was  a 
rude  but  a  very  strong  job  of  primitive  binding,  and 
probably  no  book  was  every  made  that  would  stand 
wear  better.  In  fact,  it  would  have  been,  almost 
impossible  to  tear  one  of  its  leaves,  and  as  for  its 
covers,  the  elk-hide  had  dried  and  shrunk  so  hard 
that  a  keen  knife-edge  would  have  been  turned  by 
it.  The  volume  was  about  two  inches  thick,  about 
eight  by  ten  inches  in  size,  and  opened  quite  flat. 
Every  page  but  four  had  been  written  on  both  sides 
with  some  rude  stylus  or  pen,  dipped  in  the  dark  red 
juice  of  some  berry  or  root.  This  ink  had  not  run 
nor  was  it  blurred  when  rubbed  by   Rex's  moist 


UNCLE  FESTUS  SAYS:     "RETURN  THE  BOOK"       95 

finger.  The  ink-maker  had  evidently  chosen  some 
indelible  color,  and  had  put  down  his  chirography 
with  a  steady,  firm  hand,  for  there  was  not  a  blot  or 
false  stroke  from  cover  to  cover.  The  title-page 
contained  only  the  name,  "Andres  Tenorio, "  and 
the  words,  "Hombre  de  un  libro"  (a  man  of  one 
book),  also  the  dates  1749-1793.  The  name  occupied 
the  first  or  upper  line,  the  quotation  another  line, 
and  the  dates  a  third.  All  were  embraced  by  a 
graceful  scroll,  evidently  the  work  of  an  adept  in 
penmanship.  The  body  of  the  book  was  closely 
written  in  Spanish,  the  only  words  Rex  could  under» 
stand  the  meaning  of  being  "Seville,"  "Hispaniola 
America,"  "Sealth,"  "Skagiticus, "  "Kakii-Silma" 
and  other  proper  names.  In  the  center  of  the  last 
page  or  fly-leaf  was  the  Latin  quotation:  "Culpam 
poena  premit  comes"  (punishment  surely  follows,  or 
follows  close  upon  crime).  Immediately  under  this 
quotation  and  a  little  to  the  right  was  again  the 
name,   "Andres  Tenorio. " 

Had  the  book  been  entirely  in  Latin  Rex  could 
have  made  himself  master  of  its  contents,  but  now, 
study  as  he  would,  he  could  only  conjecture  that  it 
was  a  record,  diary,  or  autobiography  of  one  Andres 
or  Andrew  Tenorio,  a  Spaniard  who  lived  from 
1749  to  1793,  and  who,  born  in  Seville,  died  or  was 
compelled  to  part  company  with  his  book  about  1793. 
That  it  was  the  diary  of  the  man  or  men  sacrificed 
to  the  Thunderbird,  Tamahnawis,  he  had  little  doubt, 
and  he  anxiously  awaited  the  coming  of  his  old  friend 
that  he  might  show  him  this  wonderful  find.  He 
carefully  replaced  the  book  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat, 


96  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

and  taking  up  the  oars  began  to  row  back  toward 
Blakely.  Before  he  reached  it  the  steamer  plying 
from  Tacoma,  where  Uncle  Festus  was  to  have 
made  the  change  if  on  time,  came  in  sight  around 
Vashon,  and  headed  toward  Blakely.  He  then  knew 
that  Uncle  Festus  must  be  aboard,  and  before  the 
steamer  touched  wharf  was  sure  of  it,  for  the  old 
man  stood  on  the  upper  deck  waving  his  arms  at 
him. 

"Wall,  youngster!  What  luck?  Whar's  yer 
game?" 

"Not  a  thing,  Uncle.  I  shot  a  hell-diver  and  a 
brant,  but  the  brant  had  been  wounded  before,  and 
was  not  good,  so  I  threw  him  away.  Climb  in  here. 
Quick!  I've  got  something  else  you'll  want  to  see — 
something  I  can't  show  here,"  he  added  in  a  low 
voice.  The  old  man,  gun  in  hand,  clambered  into 
the  boat,  while  Rex  pulled  rapidly  out  into  the 
channel  again.  Around  the  point  and  well  out  of 
earshot  of  everybody,  he  bent  forward  and  whispered 
to  his  astonished  companion:  "I've  got  that  Span- 
iard's diary.  Angeline  had  it  and  she  does  n't  know 
I've  got  it.  Oh,  I  worked  the  thing  slick.  No  one 
will  ever  know  where  it's  gone,  for  no  one  saw  me 
near  there." 

"I  hope  ye  ain't  been  stealin',"  said  the  old  man, 
gravely. 

"Not  exactly  that;  you  can  call  it  what  you've  a 
mind  to.  I  took  it  from  where  it  had  been  left. 
Wait  until  we  get  out  here  a  piece  and  I'll  tell  you 
all  about  it  and  show  it  to  you."  The  old  man 
looked  dubious,  but  sat  silent,  while  Rex  plied  his 


UNCLE  FESTUS  SAYS.    "RETURN  THE  BOOK"       97 

oars  until  he  deemed  the  boat  a  safe  distance  from 
land.  Then  drawing  forth  the  book  he  handed  it  to 
the  old  man,  who  silently  inspected  it,  while  the 
story  of  its  finding  was  told  him.  Rex  did  not  neg- 
lect one  detail,  and,  as  he  finished,  evidently  ex- 
pected some  approving  comment.  Uncle  Festus  sat, 
however,  in  silent  meditation,  his  eyes  fastened  on 
the  book  in  his  hand.  Rex  was  somewhat  aston- 
ished at  this  attitude,  and  finally  burst  forth  rather 
impatiently: 

"Well!  What  do  you  think?  Didn't  I  do  it  up 
brown?" 

"What  d'ye  mean?     The  stealin'?" 

"You  don't  call  that  stealing,  do  you?" 

"I  sartainly  do. " 

"The  taking  of  a  book,  under  those  circum- 
stances?" 

"What  else  is  it  but  stealin'?" 

"Why!  She  left  it  there,  and  either  she  or  some 
one  else  stole  it  from  Sealth  in  the  first  place." 

"She  never  stole  it.  'Twas  her  mother  or  grand- 
mother, ole  Skagit's  darter  an'  Sealth's  first  wife.  I 
persoom  Angyline  was  told  on  it  when  this  Kakii 
Silma  or  mother  o'  hern  was  about  to  die.  Perhaps 
she  took  it  with  a  promise  to  ole  Kakii  Silma  to  gin 
it  up  to  Sealth  arter  a  while.  I  persoom  ole  Kakii 
Silma,  even  on  her  death-bed,  didn't  care  to  face 
the  ole  feller  an'  confess.  And  now  ye  see,  as 
Angyline  nears  her  end,  she,  too,  is  in  trouble.  I 
tell  ye,  boy,  even  some  Siwash  has  consciences." 

"Yes;  but  whose  book  is  it?     Is  it  Angeline's?" 

"Yes;  in  one  way  'tis,  an'   another   'tain't.     But 


9&  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

'tain't  your's  ner  mine  unless  we  kin  git  Angyline 
to  sell  or  give  it  to  us. ' ' 

"What  shall  I  do  with  it,  then?" 

"I'd  put  it  back  where  I  found  it." 

"You  would?" 

"I  most  sartainly  would." 

Rex  looked  at  the  old  man  in  the  greatest  astonish- 
ment. Uncle  Festus  slowly  and  deliberately  laid  the 
book  down,  drew  forth  his  pipe  and  tobacco  pouch 
and  lighted  up.  Then  from  the  clouds  of  fragrant 
smoke  came  his  judicial  opinion,  remarkable  for  its 
quaintness  and  for  its  demonstration  of  the  analogy 
between  law  and  common  sense. 

"I  ain't  had  time  to  consider  this  matter  right 
well,  but  to  the  best  o'  my  jedgment,  you're  a  thief 
if  you  keep  that  air  book.  It's  jest  in  this  way: 
you're  takin'  from  some  one  somethin'  they  know 
they've  got  an'  you  ain't  givin'  'em  any  sort  o'  a 
return.  Even  if  you'd  a  bought  that  book  fer  a 
trifle  and  later  found  .the  treasure  it's  a  key  to,  I 
should  think  ye  bound  to  make  the  ole  woman  a 
han'some  present,  but  if  ye  take  it  an'  rob  her  of 
what's  her'n  an'  her  father's  before  her,  ye're  com- 
mittin'  a  theft.  I  don't  think  you  thought  o'  that, 
but  you  can't  deny  it  jest  the  same.  Old  Sealth's 
first  wife,  I  think  it  was,  as  Sealth  told  me  an' 
believed,  stole  that  book;  an'  while  he  might  not 
have  wanted  her  to  hev  it,  a  theft  from  husband  by 
wife,  'specially  when  both  is  Si  washes,  is  a  point  too 
fine  to  take  up.  Now  Angyline  was  the  ole  man's 
pride,  an'  if  any  one  was  to  benefit  from  that  book 
after  he  was  gone,  it's  my  opinion  he  would  want  it 


UNCLE  FESTUS  SAYS:     "RETURN   THE  BOOK"       99 

to  be  her.  I  don't  think  the  ole  man,  if  he  was 
alive  to-day,  would  blame  her  very  much  if  he 
knowed  all  the  sarcumstances  as  we  do.  The 
actual  value  o'  that  there  book  is  only  s'posable. 
It  may  be  wuth  a  hunderd  thousand  dollars,  or 
it  may  not  be  wuth  any  more'n  one  o'  these  his- 
torical sassities  'ud  give  up  fer  it.  However,  it's 
wuth  all  it'll  fetch,  an'  them  proceeds,  if  Angy- 
line  wants  'em,  belongs  to  her.  They  ain't  yourn 
ner  mine.  Your  father  didn't  acquire  that  book 
by  conquest  or  in  war  of  any  kind,  as  ole 
Sealth  an'  his  father  did.  If  he  hed  an'  hed  died, 
your  mother  never  stole  it  fer  you,  as  Kakii  Silma 
did  fer  Angyline,  whose  Injun  name,  by  the  way, 
happens  to  be  Kakii  Silma,  too.  As  fer  her  grand- 
son, he  ain't  no  claim  on  that  book,  only  through  ole 
Angyline,  an'  he  ain't  no  right  to  it  until  arter  she's 
gone.  He  don't  support  her.  She's  alius  supported 
him  an'  does  yet.  His  right  in  the  book  is  only 
small  an'  so  durned  small  this  court  fails  ter  see  it. 
Now  the  only  righteous  way  o'  your  acquirin' 
that  book  is  fer  you  an'  I  to  go  to  Angyline  an'  buy 
it.  If  she  won't  sell,  we  must  wait  until  she's  dead. 
I've  an  idee  you  couldn't  buy  that  book  of  Angyline. 
Too  much  Tamahnawis  about  it.  She'd  be  afraid 
to  sell  it.  If  you  offer  ter  buy  it  she'll  probably  hide 
it  summers  else.  Then  we  might  not  find  it.  Thar 
ye  air.  Ye  can't  safely  sayanythin'  about  the  book; 
ye  can't  righteously  keep  it,  an'  it's  gotter  go  back. 
Set  over  here  an'  I'll  row  up." 

Rex  was  dumfounded.     He  yielded  up  the  oars 
and  sadly  sat  down  to  ponder.     It  was  plain  to  him 


100        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

that  the  old  man  was  right,  but  he  felt  indignant 
that  such  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  law  of  the 
rights  of  property  should  be  applied  to  him  and  his 
find.  However,  it  was  no  use  to  object.  He  knew 
the  old  man's  firmness  and  he  also  knew  the  old  man 
was  right.  In  his  own  eagerness  he  had  forgotten 
that  Angeline  was  human  and  had  rights  of  property. 
Whether  or  not  she  meant  to  hide  this  book  and 
retain  possession  of  it  he  did  not  know.  The  old 
man  gave  her  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  and  on  that 
basis  would  return  the  book.  Rex  had  looked  upon 
her  act  as  a  manifestation  of  a  desire  to  cast  the  book 
from  her;  to  get  rid  of  it;  to  banish  it  from  her 
sight  forever.  The  only  way  to  determine  that  was 
to  put  the  book  back  and  await  her  death.  If  she 
did  not  devise  or  bequeath  it,  if  she  never  again  dis- 
turbed it,  he  and  Uncle  Festus  would  be  justified  in 
considering  it  something  she  had  cast  away,  and  no 
matter  what  its  value  to  them,  to  her  it  had  been  of 
no  value,  and  they  were  then  entitled  to  the  advan- 
tage of  it  by  right  of  discovery. 

This  was  Uncle  Festus'  reasoning,  and  he  had 
made  it  so  clear  that  Rex  said  no  more,  but  sat  silent 
with  a  very  sober  face  until  Agate  Passage  was 
reached. 

"Uncle  Festus,  what  are  you  going  to  do  after 
you've  returned  this  book?" 

"Row  across  home.  We  won't  git  in  till  midnight, 
nuther.  We've  been  four  hours  comin'  up,  where 
we  ought  to  a  come  up  in  less'n  two,  talk  an'  all.  I'm 
no  more  anxious  'an  what  you  air  to  hev  anyone  else 
know  about  this  book.      I'll  put  yer  ashore,  row  out 


UNCLE  FESTUS  SAYS:     "RETURN  THE  BOOK'      ioi 

in  the  middle  o'  the  passage,  whar  I  kin  see  if  any- 
one's watchin'  ye,  an'  if  I  whistle  ye  kin  know  it's 
all  right  an'  go  ahead.  If  I  whistle  twict,  ye  must 
postpone  yer  bury  in'."  The  book  was  replaced 
without  any  one  appearing,  and  as  Rex  was  picked 
up,  Uncle  Festus  again  bent  to  the  oars.  They 
rowed  about  the  passage  for  a  time,  and  shot  their 
guns  at  birds  along  shore  to  avoid  the  appearance  of 
stealth,  and  finally,  late  in  the  afternoon,  struck  out 
toward  the  open  Sound  and  across  home.  As  Rex 
took  his  turn  at  the  oars,  the  old  man  resumed  his 
outline  of  the  plan  he  had  in  mind. 

"When  I  git  time  we'll  stroll  down  to  Angyline's 
shack  an'  I'll  tell  her  what  her  father  told  me  about 
that  book,  an'  I'll  ask  her  if  she's  got  it.  I'll  tell 
her  I  wanter  buy  the  book  an'  will  give  her  $10  fer 
it.  If  she  won't  sell,  I'll  let'er  go  an'  all  my  spare 
time  I'll  spend  huntin'  'round  over  on  them  Olym- 
pics fer  the  crater,  with  the  big  elk's  horns  a-hang- 
in'  over  it.  Mebbe  we  kin  find  the  treasure  without 
her  ole  book — it's  all  writ  in  Spanish,  anyway." 

"Yes;  but  we  could  get  it  translated." 

"You  could,  an'  give  away  the  hull  secret.  Not 
ef  we  know  ourselves.  The  only  way  that  book  will 
ever  be  translated,  if  we  do  git  it,  is  by  you.  I'm 
too  old  to  larn  Spanish,  but  you  ain't." 

"I  suppose,  Uncle  Festus,  if  we  find  the  treasure, 
Angeline  owns  it,"  said  Rex  a  little  bitterly. 

"No;  not  any  more'n  the  rest  of  her  tribe.  It's 
my  opinion  that  if  we  made  her  declinin'  years  com- 
fortable an'  founded  a  Si  wash  horspittle  or  orphan 
asylum,  we'd  be  a-doin'  the  fair  thing." 


102        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

"In  other  words,  you'd  take  property  they've  cast 
away,  which  they  stole  from  white  people,  and  waste- 
it  on  the  descendants  of  these  savages?" 

"No;  by  jing!  I  wouldn't.  I  wouldn't  go  so  fur 
as  that.  I  wanter  be  honest  an'  I  can't  reconcile  my 
mind  to  take  thet  book  from  Angyline  until  I  know 
whether  or  not  she's  throwed  it  away.  If  she  ever 
dies  an'  leaves  it,  I'll  say  go  ahead  an'  use  it.  You 
might  commence  to  study  Spanish  at  once,  fer  she 
can't  last  long." 

"She  may  last  forty  years  yet,  Uncle.  You're  too 
honest.  My  heart's  broken,"  replied  Rex,  half 
seriously.  "But  here  we  are.  It's  after  ten  o'clock, 
and  I've  got  to  climb  Queen  Anne  hill  yet.  Good- 
night!" 

When  Rex  reached  home  he  was  very  tired,  and 
so  discouraged  that  he  felt  like  crying  himself  to 
sleep.  However,  he  fell  asleep  quicker  than  he  had 
anticipated,  and  it  seemed  to  him  he  had  hardly 
closed  his  eyes  when  he  was  aroused  by  a  scream 
from  his  mother,  and  springing  from  his  bed,  dashed 
down-stairs. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

COLONEL    WAYLAND'S    SUDDEN    DEATH 

It  was  in  reality  nearly  six  o'clock  when  Rex  was 
awakened  that  morning.  His  sleep  had  been  so  pro- 
found and  dreamless,  the  short  autumn  days  made 
the  house  so  dark  at  this  hoar,  and  the  awakening 
had  been  so  sudden,  that  he  at  first  thought  it  hardly 
midnight.  To  his  confused  mind,  as  he  rushed 
down-stairs,  came  thoughts  of  burglars,  fire  and  what 
not,  but  not  an  inkling  of  the  terrible  blow  he 
was  about  to  receive.  Some  philosopher  has  said 
it  is  the  unexpected  that  always  happens,  and  so  it 
was  in  this  case,  for  how  could  either  Rex  or  his 
mother,  even  if  morbidly  inclined,  ever  dream  of 
such  news  as  Mrs.  Wayland  had  just  read  from  the 
piece  of  yellow  paper  in  her  hand?  Rex  saw  the 
messenger  boy  standing  in  the  door  as  he  came 
down,  and,  not  seeing  his  mother,  was  about  to  ask 
the  boy  where  she  had  gone  and  what  was  the 
matter,  when  she  staggered  out  from  behind  the 
stairway,  endeavored  to  speak,  stammered  and  fell 
fainting,  the  telegram  crushed  in  her  hand.  The 
messenger  boy  was  a  manly  and  resourceful  little 
fellow,  and  while  he  said  little,  acted  a  useful  part. 
He  aided  Rex  in  carrying  Mrs.  Wayland  into  the 
parlor,  where  they  laid  her  on  the  sofa,  and  he  sat 
beside  her  chafing  her  hands,  while  Rex  hunted  for 
camphor  and  smelling  salts.     When  these  came  he 


104        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

bathed  her  forehead  and  wrists  and  held  the  bottle 
to  her  nose,  while  Rex  studied  the  telegram.  Alas ! 
It  needed  little  study.  It  was  so  brutally  plain  that 
Rex,  even  in  his  stupefying  sorrow,  found  occasion 
to  wonder  how  people  could  be  so  curt.     It  read : 

"Portland,  Oregon,  1:15  a.  m. 
"Mrs.  R.  G.  Wayland, 

"1424  Hill  Ave.,  Seattle.,  Wash. 
"Colonel  R.  G.  Wayland  fell  dead  6  p.  m.,  while 
on  way  to  train.      Body  in  my  charge,  and  will  be 
shipped  at  once.  Harvey  Beach,  Coroner. " 

As  Rex  read  and  reread  this  awful  message,  he 
seemed  for  a  time  stupefied.  He  was  soon  aroused, 
however,  by  a  faint  sigh  from  his  mother,  over  whose 
white  face  came  waves  of  returning  color  and  from 
whose  parted  lips  later  issued  faint,  long-drawn 
moans.  She  was  coming  back  to  her  sorrow  again, 
and,  wishing  to  be  alone  with  her,  Rex  paid  the  boy 
and  dismissed  him,  thanking  him  for  his  kindness. 
Then,  holding  the  fluttering  hands  of  her  who  was 
now  his  only  relative,  he  sat  and  studied  the  tele- 
gram and  tried  to  realize  its  meaning. 

"The  body  must  soon  arrive  in  Seattle,"  he 
thought.  "Who  could  ever  have  dreamed  that  my 
father  would  go  in  this  way?  He  was  the  picture  of 
health,  and,  while  a  good  liver,  abstemious  in  the 
use  of  liquors.  No;  this  sudden  death  is  not  due 
to  any  form  of  dissipation.  I  have  heard  him  say 
that  his  father  had  heart  trouble,  and  that  certain 
fatal  tendencies,  on  both  sides  of  the  house,  pre- 
vented him  carrying  insurance.  I  wonder  if  he  had 
any,  and  if  not,  how  are  mother  and  I  to  get  along? 


MRS.  WAYLAND  FAINTS  ON  READING  THE  TELEGRAM. 
105 


106        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

He  was  very  improvident,  for  he  was  so  light- 
hearted  and  confident  that  as  soon  as  any  difficulty 
was  over  with  he  never  looked  for  mure.  Father 
ought  to  have  been  rich,  but  as  it  is,  he  leaves 
mother  and  me  poor.  Well,  he  was  a  good  husband 
and  father,  and,  terrible  as  this  blow  is  to  us,  I  am 
glad  that  his  death  was  sudden  and  painless." 

Here  the  whole  weight  of  his  sorrow,  the  pitiful 
predicament  he  and  his  mother  were  placed  in,  struck 
him  with  peculiar  significance,  and,  man  as  he  almost 
was,  he  fell  to  weeping  like  a  child.  This  outburst 
did  him  good,  and  was  soon  over,  and  when  Mrs. 
Wayland  came  to  herself,  he  was  outwardly  calm 
and  very  tender.  He  embraced  her,  saying:  "Dear 
little  mother,  we  two  are  alone  in  the  world  now, 
it  seems,  and  we  must  be  all  in  all  to  one  another. 
We  should  be  thankful  this  terrible  trouble  did  not 
come  while  I  was  a  child.  I  am  a  man  now,  and 
you  will  soon  see  how  well  I  will  care  for  you.  As 
for  poor  father,  while  his  death  was  horribly  sudden, 
you  must  remember  it  was  painless,  and  you  and  I 
both  know  he  would  much  rather  have  gone  in  this 
way  than  to  have  endured  a  long  illness.  Come  now, 
be  a  brave  little  woman,  and  make   the  best  of  it." 

Mrs.  Wayland,  under  this  sensible  treatment, 
soon  regained  her  self-control,  and  her  son  could 
but  admire  her  thoughtfulness  and  careful  atten- 
tion to  the  details  of  the  necessary  arrangements. 
Prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  body  came  a  delegation 
of  Masons  to  condole  with  the  bereaved  wife  and 
son,  and  to  express  their  regret  that  the  clumsy 
official  at  Portland  had  not  discovered  the  standing 


COLONEL  WAYLAND'S  SUDDEN  DEATH      107 

of  the  deceased  before  sending-  that  telegram.  It 
seemed  that  Colonel  Wayland's  sudden  death  had 
not  been  generally  known  about  Portland  that 
evening.  He  had  been  about  town  all  day  looking 
after  matters  of  business,  and  ate  a  hearty  dinner,  as 
was  his  custom,  shortly  before  six  p.  m.  He  had 
then  left  the  hotel  in  apparent  good  health,  starting 
toward  the  depot  on  foot.  He  might  have  taken  a 
car  or  a  cab  but  for  the  reason,  as  he  remarked  to 
certain  acquaintances,  he  felt  rather  dull,  and 
thought  a  walk  would  do  him  good.  He  happened 
to  be  near  a  doctor's  office  when  taken  ill,  and 
hastened  in  for  relief.  The  doctor  retired  to  another 
room  and  began  preparing  a  pepsin  prescription, 
thinking  the  trouble  due  to  indigestion,  when,  on 
re-entering  the  outer  office,  he  found  his  patient 
lying  upon  the  floor.  The  doctor  applied  restora- 
tives and  threw  open  the  window  for  fresh  air,  but 
all  was  of  no  avail.  The  colonel  expired  inside  of 
ten  seconds  after  being  found. 

The  papers  in  the  pockets  of  the  dead  man  showed 
him  to  be  a  traveling  insurance  adjuster  for  several 
different  companies  in  the  east,  but  as  the  coroner 
had  not  time  to  hunt  up  local  agents,  who  would 
have  taken  the  body  in  charge,  and  as  he  found  a 
letter  from  the  dead  man's  wife,  showing  con- 
clusively who  he  was  and  where  he  resided,  he 
bothered  himself  not  but  shipped  the  body  to 
Seattle  by  first  train.  The  inquest,  which  he  con- 
ducted with  all  celerity  possible,  for  the  reason  that 
the  fee  was  a  stated  one,  developed  the  fact  that 
the  bursting  of  a  small  blood-vessel  at  the  base  of 


108        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

the  brain,  causing  pressure  on  the  medulla  oblongata 
or  post  cervical  nerve  center,  was  the  cause  of  death. 
All  these  facts  this  careful  official  gave  to  a 
reporter  at  a  late  hour  and  it  was  by  the  merest 
chance  that  a  very  brief  account  of  the  sad  occurrence 
was  wired  to  the  Seattle  "P.  I."  This  account, 
brief  as  it  was,  however,  had  brought  these  Masonic 
brethren  to  the  widow's  door  and  never  did  a  family 
appreciate  kindly  offices  more.  There  is  no  neces- 
sity of  dwelling  further  on  the  sad  scenes  that 
followed.  The  Colonel  was  found  to  have  died  as 
he  had  lived — with  little  thought  for  the  morrow. 
Though  one  of  the  best  of  men,  he  had  always  been 
improvident,  living  as  he  went  and  never  saving  a 
cent.  By  a  lucky  venture,  he  had  once  in  the  east 
accumulated  a  small  fortune.  That  was  just  after 
the  war  and  while  he  was  yet  weak  and  ill  from 
wounds  received  in  the  Richmond  campaign.  It 
had  seemed  to  him  as  if  any  one  could  make  money, 
his  having  come  so  easily,  and  he  had  bothered 
himself  little  about  business,  until  the  profits  of  this 
one  successful  venture  were  nearly  gone.  Then  he 
bestirred  himself,  risked  again  and  lost  everything. 
It  was  hard  for  this  soldier  and  officer  to  apply 
himself  to  business.  He  knew  not  what  to  turn  his 
hand  to.  There  were  mauy  like  him,  but  through 
the  kindness  of  friends,  he  finally  secured  a  lieu- 
tenant's commission  in  the  regular  army  and  went 
to  the  then  northwest,  to  help  keep  the  Indians  in 
subjection.  This  life  the  Colonel  liked,  and  he 
might  always  have  remained  a  regular,  had  he  not 
while  on   a  furlough  met  the  beautiful  daughter  of 


COLONEL  WAYLAND'S  SUDDEN  DEATH      109 

an  old  friend,  married  her  and  for  her  sake  thrown 
up  his  commission  and  come  east  to  once  more  try 
civilized  life  and  business.  The  panic  of  '73  came 
on  shortly  after  this  and  soon  the  Colonel  had 
parted  with  his  small  capital  and  was  left  with  a 
family  on  his  hands.  Insurance  was  the  only 
avenue  open,  and  he  entered  upon  this  business, 
with  the  same  good  nature  and  happy  disposition 
that  had  kept  him  young  despite  all  his  reverses. 
He  had  so  many  friends  and  was  so  quietly  persist- 
ent that  he  won  first  a  poor  living  and  later  a  fairly 
luxurious  one.  As  the  trusted  agent  of  a  well- 
established  line  of  companies,  he  was  in  receipt  of  a 
fine  income,  when  the  bait  of  an  adjustership  for  all 
the  northwestern  field  caught  him,  and  he  decided 
to  go  west.  Here  he  found  plenty  of  work,  had 
constantly  gained  acquaintances,  had  seen  a  field 
before  him,  and  had  thought  it  best  to  live  well  and 
keep  up  appearances.  He  had  done  this  and,  as  a 
result,  had  left  his  family  penniless,  except  for  the 
thousand-dollar  benefit  from  the  Masonic  association. 
Nearly  half  of  this  was  eaten  up  by  the  funeral 
expenses,  and  the  holiday  season  of  1895  found  Rex 
and  his  mother  \ery  anxious  for  the  future.  The 
Colonel  had  been  in  receipt  of  a  small  pension,  a 
portion  of  which  fell  to  his  widow,  but  it  was 
insufficient  for  their  maintenance.  In  fact,  it  was 
but  $240  a  year,  and  would  no  more  than  pay 
their  house  rent  and  clothe  them. 

"Well!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Wayland  one  evening,  as 
they  sat  talking  and  planning,  "I  don't  see  but  I 
shall  have  to  move  to  the   center  of  the  city,  take 


no  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

a  larger  house  and  get  a  few  boarders.  We  must  do 
something  to  keep  you  in  school,  Rex.  You  must 
enter  the  university  in  a  year,  you  know. 

Rex  made  no  reply,  but  sat  in  deep  thought  for 
some  time.  Finally  he  asked:  "Mother,  would  it 
disappoint  you  much  if  I  gave  up  school  and  went 
to  work  at  something?" 

"Certainly  it  would,  Rex,  and  very  much  too. 
What  put  that  idea  into  your  head?" 

"Why,  Mother,  it  can't  be  otherwise.  I've  can- 
vassed the  situation  pretty  carefully,  and  I  find  that 
through  these  hard  times,  which  are  harder  here 
than  anywhere  else  in  the  world,  I  guess,  boarding 
house  keepers  are  actually  losing  money, — that  is, 
those  who  have  any  to  lose,  and  certainly  none  are 
making  any.  Now,  I  had  thought  this  matter  all 
over,  and  while  thinking  of  it  I  looked  into  the 
business.  I  had  hoped  that  you  could  take  a  large 
house,  hire  three  or  four  servants,  and  by  getting 
a  nice  class  of  boarders,  with  my  help  make  a  good 
living.  To  be  sure,  it  would  have  been  a  constant 
care  upon  both  and  very  hard  upon  you,  but  you 
remember  that,  back  home,  Mrs.  Harper  did  that 
while  her  Jim  was  in  school,  and  that  they  got  him 
through  nicely.  But  I've  looked  over  all  the  ground 
here  and  it's  as  I  tell  you.  We  can't  live  that  way. 
We  mustn't  lose  the  little  capital  we  have,  for  while 
wre  have  some  good  friends  here,  we  haven't  a 
relative  nor  a  dollar  in  the  world,  over  and  above  that 
$545.73  now  in  the  bank.  We  are  even  living  in  a 
furnished  house,  and  as  it  seems  like  home  to  us,  I 
hope  to  continue  living  here.     But  we  can't  do  even 


COLONEL  WAVLAXD'S  SUDDEN  DEATH       l  i  I 

that,  unless  I  can  get  a  job,  for  $12.50  per  month  is 
too  much  rent.  I've  hunted  for  two  days  for  work 
and  found  none.  I  can  go  salmon  fishing  and 
trapping  and  hunting  with  Uncle  Festus,  but  that  is 
precarious  and  we  may  not  make  a  cent.  He's 
puttering  around,  as  he  says,  most  of  the  time,  and 
I  don't  believe  he  earns  $250  a  year.  We  need 
about  $500  more  than  that,  to  live  as  we  are  living. 
I  hardly  expect  to  strike  $15  a  week  these  hard 
times,  but  I'm  striving.  I'll  report  to  you  every 
night.  Be  a  brave  little  mother,  and  keep  cheerful, 
but  don't  hug  the  false  delusion  that  I  am  to  keep 
in  school.  It  can't  be  done.  The  times  are  too 
hard.  I  must  give  up  school  for  a  year  or  two,  and 
work.  I'm  young  enough,  and  have  a  good  start. 
Something  may  happen  to  give  us  a  "stake"  before 
long,  and  if  so  I'm  willing  to  spend  all  but  a 
small  sum  for  an  education,  for  I  want  one,  but 
to  be  a  burden  on  you,  to  sit  by  and  see  you  use 
up  the  little  father  left,  I  cannot  and  will  not. 
If  I  can't  support  you  any  other  way,  I'm  going 
into  a  logging  camp.  There  are  always  men  wanted 
there,  and  I'm  strong  enough,  goodness  knows. 
Good-night,  Mother,"  and  he  kissed  the  troubled 
little  woman  down  whose  cheeks  the  tears  were 
rolling. 

That  kiss  was  not  an  unusual  thing,  so  it  could  not 
have  been  that  which  relieved  her;  but  something 
surely  did,  for  she  went  to  bed  that  night  and  slept 
well,  the  first  time  since  the  Colonel's  death.  Rex 
did  not  know  it,  but  the  manner  in  which  he  had 
assumed  charge  of  her  and  their  affairs,  had  a  won- 


ii2        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

derfully  soothing  effect  on  the  overwrought  little 
woman,  and  if  ever  a  mother  was  proud  of  a  man1}? 
son,  she  was  of  him. 


CHAPTER  XV 

REX    FAILS    TO    FIND      EMPLOYMENT — UNCLE      FESTUS     TO 
THE    RESCUE 

Boy-like,  Rex  had  started  in  with  a  hope  of  some 
managerial  position,  but  every  situation  of  that  kind 
was,  of  course,  closed  to  him,  and  he  began  to  realize 
how  hard  it  was  to  work  up  to  even  such  a  position  as 
his  father  had  occupied.  He  had  thought  somewhat 
of  going  in  as  a  solicitor,  and  felt  sure  he  could  by 
middle  age  win  a  lucrative  and  prominent  status  in 
the  insurance  world,  but  at  the  start,  how  were  he 
and  his  mother  to  live  ?  He  might  make  a  living 
from  the  beginning,  and  he  might  not.  No;  he 
must  have  a  certainty.  Then  he  canvassed  the 
stores  for  a  position  as  salesman,  but  times  were 
too  hard  to  add  new  men;  even  the  old  ones  were 
hanging  on  for  dear  life,  knowing  not  where  they 
would  fetch  up  if  they  once  lost  their  grip.  He 
tried  a  civil  service  examination  for  mail-carrier  and 
passed  reasonably  well,  but  he  was  seventh  on  the 
list,  and  unless  an  unprecedented  number  of  mail- 
carriers  died,  or  the  city  grew  so  as  to  need  many 
more,  there  would  be  no  show  for  him  for  years  to 
come.  Then  he  sought  a  position  on  the  street-car 
lines,  but  none  was  vacant.  Of  pursers  on  steam- 
boats, there  was  any  quantity ;  of  railway  clerks,  even 
more.  Besides,  he  was  not  an  expert  bookkeeper. 
One  afternoon,   pretty  well  discouraged,  he  sought 

113 


J  14  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Uncle  Festus,  hoping  to  meet  with  advice  or  encour- 
agement. The  old  man  was,  as  usual,  glad  to  see 
him  and  capered  around  in  a  manner  entirely  foreign 
to  his  usual  dignified  deportment. 

"So  you've  no  job  yet,  boyee?  Well!  I  knew  you 
wouldn't  find  any  right  away.  Not  but  what  you're 
smart  enough  to  do  anything,  but  3Tou  see  times  are 
hard,  ain't  been  as  hard  in  twenty  year,  if  ever 
they  wuz  on  this  coast.  Of  course  you  may  hit 
some  thin'  arter  a  while,  but  in  my  opinion  ye  won't 
never  find  anything  outside  o'  a  dead  man's  shoes. 
If  some  salesman  happens  to  die  now,  or  some 
grocery  delivery  man  gits  throwed  from  his  waggin 
on  one  o'  these  hills  an'  breaks  his  blarsted  neck, 
ye  may  git  a  chance  ter  break  yourn.  Ye  see,  there's 
nothin'  doin' — no  new  enterprises.  In  1889,  a  man 
on  this  coast,  even  though  he  hadn't  any  brains, 
could  earn  from  twenty  to  thirty  bits  a  day  with 
his  hands.  No  trick  at  all  to  strike  a  'job,'  as  the 
Swedes  say.  Now,  there's  a  little  doin'  in  the  mines 
an'  considerable  in  lumber.  If  'twasn't  fer  our 
Australian  trade,  there  wouldn't  be  nothin'  doin'  in 
lumber,  but  as  'tis,  a  man  who's  willin'  to  work 
kin  make  tol'able  fair  wages — ordinary  hands  from 
a  dollar  to  ten  bits  an'  board.  To  be  sure,  a  job  in 
a  lumber  camp  is  only  a  peg  above  a  job  afore  the 
mast,  an'  that  last's  only  a  peg  above  slavery,  but  if 
I  was  you,  'fore  I'd  lay  'round,  waitin'  fer  sumthin'  to 
turn  up,  I'd  go  in  an'  pull  a  cross-cut  saw  an'  swing 
an  axe.  There's  a  possibility  of  sumthin'  better  in 
that  line,  an'  I  declar'  fur  it,  I'd  about  as  soon  be 
foreman  in  a  big  lumber  camp  at  a  hundred  to  a 


CLOSING  THE  DEAL  WITH  LUMBERM  VN  BOWMAN. 
115 


u6  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

hundred  an'  fifty  a  month  an'  found,  as  to  be  a 
counter  jumper  measurin'  off  cloth  an'  merlasses  fer 
six  dollars  a  week  an'  find  yerself.  One's  a  little 
more  'ristercratic  than  t'other,  but  bein'  as  yer  after 
a  stake  to  spend  in  gettin'  an  eddication,  I  don't  see 
but  what  the  quickest  way  to  git  it  is  the  best  way." 

"Money  is  all  I'm  after,  Uncle  Festus,  and  if  you 
can  assure  me  more  at  pulling  a  cross-cut  saw  than 
I  can  get  as  a  bank-clerk  or  salesman,  I'm  after 
the  saw.  I  want  to  be  a  lawyer  or  doctor  some  day, 
but  I  want  a  college  education  first,  and  before  that, 
or  anything  else,  I  want  to  take  care  of  mother." 

Uncle  Festus  sat  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  gravely 
stroking  his  beard.  Finally  he  looked  up.  "See 
here,  boyee !  go  on  home  and  come  round  to-morrer. 
No,  by  jing!  kim  with  me  now.  I'm  purty  old  to 
start  in  again,  but  if  they'll  let  me,  jest  fer  your 
sake,  I'll  do  it.  Kim  along  down  to  my  boat."  As 
they  rowed  out  across  the  harbor,  the  old  man  was 
thoughtful  and  silent,  but  finally  broke  out  again. 
"I  dunno  but  you'll  think  me  an'  old  fool  to 
undertake  business  agin  at  my  time  o'  life,  but,  by 
jing!  I  believe  I'll  take  a  whirl  at  it  this  winter,  jest 
fer  the  sake  o'  givin'  you  a  job.  I  used  to  know 
how  to  run  a  camp  'long  back  in  the  seventies,  but 
arter  I  got  my  back  pension,  I  quit,  an'  hev  been 
takin'  it  easy  sense.  D'ye  see  that  bark  layin'  out 
thar,  jest  beyond  the  coal  bunkers?  Wall!  aboard 
o'  her  is  an  old  friend  o'  mine,  who  has  a  section  or 
two  over  here  in  Kitsap  county,  what  he  wants 
logged.  Every  logger  he's  seen  wants  $4  fer  puttin' 
the  logs  inter  Gamble.     He's  willin'   to  give  $3.50 


REX  FAILS  TO  FIND  EMPLOYMENT  117 

an'  furnish  a  camp  equipment  to  some  'sponsible 
party  at  fa'r  appraisal.  In  fact,  he  offers  two  bull 
teams  of  eight  each,  a  bang-up  assortment  o' 
peevies,  saws,  wire  rope,  axes,  dogs  an'  I  don't 
know  what  all,  at  really  less'n  they're  wuth.  I've 
got  about  §4,000  laid  by  fer  my  old  age,  an'  I  jest 
about  think  I  kin  go  inter  thet  deal  an'  make  it 
$6,000,  'sides  a  good  livin'  the  next  year.  I'm  goin' 
over  ter  see  him  now,  an'  if  you'll  go  in  as  my  right- 
hand  business  man  at  $75.00  a  month  an'  found,  I'll 
hire  a  Chinee  cook  an'  a  gang  o'  men,  buy  the 
outfit  an'  tackle  the  hull  darnd  propersition.  It's 
the  only  lot  o'  timber  I  know  of  anywhere  within 
nice  haulin'  distance  o'  tide  water,  an'  if  thar's 
six  million  feet  on  it,  as  he  thinks,  I  kin  make  good 
money  at  $3.75.  If  thar's  eight  million  feet,  as  I 
think,  I  can  make  a  clear  $3,000,  besides  gittin'  my 
money  back.  We'll  go  over  an'  feel  o'  him,  any- 
way. ' ' 

They  soon  reached  the  vessel  and  sat  down  to  a 
conference  with  Mr.  Cyrus  Bowman  of  San  Francisco. 
He  had  been  an  employer  of  Uncle  Festus  twenty- 
five  years  before,  and  knew  him  for  a  competent  fore- 
man and  one  that  could  be  trusted.  He  appeared 
somewhat  surprised  and  more  than  pleased,  that  his 
old  friend  had  finally  taken  enough  interest  :n  the 
matter  to  think  of  undertaking  the  job  himself. 
He  had  thought  of  offering  to  equip  him  and  hire 
him  to  superintend  the  camp,  but  when  the  old  man 
proposed  to  undertake  everything  on  his  own  capital, 
Bowman  was  overjoyed.  Uncle  Festus  was  shrewd 
enough  to  ask  him  $4  per  thousand.     He  did  not 


n8  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

expect  to  receive  more  than  $3.50.  He  was  there- 
fore not  a  little  pleased  when  Mr.  Bowman  took  him 
up  at  $4  and  agreed  to  make  a  contract  that  should 
bind  him  to  take  the  entire  equipment  off  the  hands 
of  the  logger  at  a  price  not  less  than  ninety  per  cent 
of  that  paid,  provided  it  was  maintained  and  offered 
in  good  order,  within  two  years  of  the  date  of  the 
contract. 

"You  say  you  know  this  section,  Estus?"  said  Mr. 
Bowman. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  logged  a  piece  near  it  in  '74,  when  the 
Seabeck-mills  was  runnin'.  This  piece  ain't  morc'n 
three  or  four  mile  from  what's  left  o'  Seabeck  to- 
day. I  know  the  lay  o'  che  ground  purty  well.  I 
hev  it  all  planned  how  I'm  a-goin'  to  lay  out  the 
roads,  an'  I  kalkerlate  ter  do  it  fer  about  $1750." 

"If  you  do  it  for  $2500,  with  the  proposition  I've 
made  you,  you'll  clean  up  §2000  or  more.  How- 
ever, I  hope  you'll  make  more  than  that.  I've  got 
business  elsewhere.  I  don't  want  to  bother  with 
this  last  tract  of  mine  up  here.  I'm  winding  up  my 
operations  in  this  part  of  the  sound  as  fast  as  I  can. 
That's  the  only  reason  I'm  willing  to  give  you  this 
fancy  price.  A  man  like  you,  whom  I  can  trust,  who 
won't  leave  timber  he  should  clean  up,  and  who  is 
not  only  responsible  but  honest,  relieves  me  of  the 
task  of  watching  him  and  gives  me  time,  worth  to 
me  and  my  concern  a  very  pretty  figure.  I'll  meet 
you  at  Senator  Frank  Lewis'  office  at  nine  o'clock 
to-morrow  morning  and  we'll  draw  up  and  sign  the 
agreement.  If  at  any  time  you  get  strapped  and 
can   show   me    roads    and   preparation    worth    the 


REX  FAILS  TO  FIND  EMPLOYMENT  119 

money,  I'll  advance  you  eighty  per  cent  of  what 
you've  paid  out,  to  tide  you  over  until  the  logs  are 
scaled.  I  want  to  see  you  go  through  this  tiling  all 
right." 

"Oh,  I'll  go  through  it,  an'  I'm  quite  con  fid  cut 
my  pile  won't  wear  out  afore  the  first  million  feet 
o'  logs  is  boomed.  However,  I'm  much  obleeged," 
returned  LTncle  Festus,  cheerfully.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  contract  was  arranged  and  that  evening  Uncle 
Festus  and  Rex  advertised  in  the  Times  for  help, 
while  they  made  preparations  to  go  over  on  the 
Delta  the  following  morning  to  locate  their  camp  and 
plan  their  roads.  Mrs.  Wayland  said  very  little 
when  Rex  arrived  with  the  news  the  first  evening, 
for  she  could  hardly  credit  the  fact  that  this  old 
man,  whom  she  had  always  looked  on  as  a  harmless, 
eccentric  old  character,  really  had  capacity  enough 
to  run  any  enterprise  of  the  magnitude  of  a  lumber 
camp.  However,  as  Rex  had  assured  her  Mr.  Bow- 
man had  the  greatest  confidence  in  him,  and  as  Rex 
was  not  given  to  enthusiasm  over  any  chimerical 
schemes,  and  was,  in  fact,  more  conservative  than 
many  men  of  mature  years,  she  decided  that  she 
must  have  misjudged  his  old  friend. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

SEABECK'S    "BUSTED   BOOM" SOME  TRUE  COUGAR  YARNS 

Seabeck  is  a  typical  "has  been"  town  of  Puget 
Sound.  Years  ago  it  was  as  large  as,  or  larger  than 
Seattle.  It  had  its  mills,  and  at  its  docks  ships  were 
loaded  with  lumber  for  the  furthermost  ports  of  the 
world.  Yea,  more — ships  were  built  there,  as  many 
as  three  large  vessels  building  at  a  time,  and  the 
land-boomer  had  high  hopes.  Why  should  it  not  be 
a  great  city?  It  had  timber  lands  all  about  it,  a  fine 
harbor  and  splendid  mills.  Here  is  the  widest  portion 
of  Hood's  Canal,  it  being  twelve  miles  across  to  the 
beach  of  Taraboo  Bay.  Directly  across  to  the  west 
were  the  towering  Olympics,  with  their  vast  stores 
of  mineral,  lumber  and  game.  The  Olympics  are 
there  yet,  but  so  rough  and  inaccessible  that  the 
timber  and  minerals  as  well  as  the  game  are  quite 
likely  to  remain  undisturbed.  In  fact,  the  Olympics 
have  never  been  fully  explored,  and  may  not  be  for 
another  fifty  years.  And  what  of  Seabeck?  Its 
mills  are  burned — wiped  out  by  one  mammoth  fire. 
Its  ship  building  is  a  story  of  past  days.  Its 
stores,  hotels  and  saloons  are  closed.  Its  wharves 
are  rotted,  torredo-eaten  and  very  shaky.  From  the 
water  it  looks  very  attractive  even  yet,  for  it  is 
beautifully  situated,  but  seven-eighths  of  the  pretty 
little  houses  that  show  up  so  well  are  vacant.  The 
green  lawns  and  spreading  fruit  trees  are  neglected. 


SEABECK'S  "BUSTED  BOOM"        12 r 

Its  business  is  practically  nothing,  all  its  mail  being 
taken  up  from  the  wharf  in  a  small  hand-bag  every 
other  day.  It  ships  very  little  if  any  fish  or  oil. 
Its  inhabitants  have  not  even  enterprise  enough  to 
go  out  and  shoot  the  duck,  which  in  season  fairly 
cover  the  waters  of  its  bay.  In  short,  if  natural 
decay  is  not  soon  arrested,  beautiful  Seabeck  will 
be  as  Tyre  arid  Sidon  of  old — a  place  of  barrenness 
and  ruin  on  which  fishermen  spread  their  nets  to 
dry. 

As  the  "Delta"  swung  in  toward  the  town  that 
January  day,  it  seemed  to  Rex  he  had  never  seen  a 
more  beautiful  spot.  The  water  all  through  the 
sheltered  bight  was  of  that  pretty  green  so  common 
to  certain  bottoms  of  the  sound.  The  forest  to  the 
east,  south  and  north  was  of  softly  rounded  outline, 
and  the  entire  prospect  was  in  strange  contrast  with 
the  rugged,  broken  mountains  rising  up  so  many 
thousand  feet  and  so  abruptly  from  the  opposite 
shore.  ' '  How  I  wish  mother  could  come  over  here ! ' ' 
was  the  boy's  first  exclamation. 

"So  she  kin!  So  she  kin!"  returned  Uncle  Festus, 
briskly,  as  they  stepped  ashore.  "I  know  she'd 
enjoy  it,  an'  I  can't  see  why  she  shouldn't  kim  over 
fer  a  spell,  bymeby.  I  dunno's  sassiety  is  quite 
what  'tis  over  on  Queen  Anne  Hill  in  Seattle,  but 
then,  ye  must  remember  that's  fifty  mile  er  more  to- 
ward the  effete  east. "  Uncle  Festus  did  not  appear 
to  be  the  same  man  He  was  full  of  business  now, 
and  had  lost  that  easy  gait,  so  characteristic  of  the 
loiterer  along  shore.  It  really  seemed  as  if  he  were 
younger  by  twenty-five  years,  and  his  speech  was 


SHOOTING  A  COUGAR. 
138 


SEABECK'S  "BUSTED  BOOM"       123 

more  decisive  and  to  the  point.  The  announcement 
that  he  was  to  open  a  lumber  camp  for  Bowman 
&  Hatch  of  San  Francisco  created  a  considerable  stir 
in  this  sleepy  little  town.  No  matter  if  it  was  three 
or  four  miles  up  the  sound.  It  meant  business  for 
the  store-keeper,  for  the  rancher  who  had  butter  or 
"spuds"  to  sell,  for  the  small  boy  who  caught  fish 
for  profit  as  well  as  pleasure,  for  the  saloon  man 
who  retailed  a  very  high-priced  quality  of  "mois- 
ture." The  man  who  was  to  run  that  camp  was  a 
man  to  cultivate  and  cater  to,  and  the  freedom  of 
the  city  was  voted  him  by  every  man,  woman  and 
child.  Rex  naturally  expected  to  see  Uncle  Festus' 
head  turned  by  such  attention,  but  much  to  his  sur- 
prise, the  old  man  was  as  dignified  and  coolly 
courteous  as  any  man  has  a  right  to  be,  who  has  only 
public  favor  to  bestow  and  asks  none  in  return.  He 
gravely  refused  several  offers  to  "have  somethin' 
at  the  village  bar,  and  insisted  on  paying  a  fair  price 
for  all  he  required.  To  Rex  he  remarked:  "It's 
alius  best  in  the  long  run  to  hold  them  fellers  at 
arm's  length.  Ye  hire  'em  cheaper,  'cause  ye  give 
'em  to  understan'  ye  intend  ter  pay  'em  in  cash  fer 
everythin'  they  do,  an'  air  not  a  'store-order'  con 
cern.  I  don't  intend  to  pay  a  cent  more  fer  my  men 
or  produce  than  any  other  camp  does,  but  I'll  pay 
promptly,  which  is  more'n  most  of  'em  do,  an* 
knowin'  they  git  their  money  as  soon  as  it's  aimed, 
I'll  git  my  pick  o'  men  an'  git  good  days'  work 
outen  'em." 

As    they  started  out  to    inspect    the    tract,  Uncle 
Festus  noticed   that   Rex  had   left  his  rifle   at  the 


124        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

village,  and  not  having  brought  his  own,  sent  him 
back  for  it.  "If  these  woods  air  anything  like  they 
used  ter  be,  even  when  Seabeck  was  boomin',  it's 
hardly  safe  to  go  back  far  without  firearms.  Any 
quantity  o'  cats  on  this  side  o'  the  peninsuler,  an' 
some  on  'em's  boosters.  A  few  year  ago  when  I 
was  a-workin'  at  Gamble,  a  ten-year-old  girl  was 
caught  up  right  on  the  edge  o'  the  town  one  night 
an'  carried  a  consid'able  distance  by  one  o'  the 
critters.  Some  men  an'  a  dog  pressed  him  purty 
closte,  an'  as  't  happened  the  girl's  dress  tore  jest  as 
he  was  makin'  a  spring  up  onter  a  ledge  with  her, 
she  rolled  back  a-squealin'  like  a  pig,  an'  Mr.  Cougar, 
not  darin'  to  turn  back,  went  on  without  her.  The 
dog  finally  treed  him,  but  he  traveled  in  the  tree 
tops  an'  got  away.  The  next  mornin',  'bout  day- 
light, he  kim  'round  fer  another  try  at  human  game. 
The  dogs  got  after  him;  he  took  to  a  tree,  an'  the 
girl's  father  shot  him.  He  measured  'bout  ten  foot 
from  nostril  to  tail-tip,  and  weighed  'bout  two  hun- 
dred pound.  He  wasn't  the  biggest  one  in  this  neck 
o'  woods,  either.  I've  seen  'em  nearly  eleven  foot 
in  my  time,  an'  I  hain't  heerd  that  the  breed  is 
a-growin'  any  smaller.  There  ain't  bigger  cats  ner 
more  dangerous  in  the  hull  state  o'  Washington  than 
right  up  back  here." 

"But  how  about  that  girl,  Uncle  Festus?  Was 
she  badly  hurt?" 

"Hardly  any.  She  was  clawed  a  leetle  on  the 
shoulder  whar  the  beast  struck  her  when  he  jumped, 
an'  when  he  gethered  up  a  mouthful  of  her  waist- 
band ter  throw  her  onto  his  shoulder  he  also  took 


SEABECK'S  "BUSTED  BOOM"  125 

some  flesh,  but  she  was  all  right  agin  in  a  week. 
However,  if  he'd  a  had  ten  minutes  alone  with  her, 
she'd  a  fared  'bout  as  a  young  klootchman  did  out 
opposite  Fulton  Creek  a  few  year  ago.  That  one  eat 
her  all  up  except  her  feet,  which  he  left  in  her  shoes. 
Oh,  I  tell  ye,  boy!  They're  cultus  medicine — these 
cats.  Only  last  year — no — 'twas  year  afore  last,  two 
fellers  was  a-huntin'  over  near  Hona-Hana.  One 
went  up  each  side  of  a  ridge  an'  'twas  agreed  that  if 
either  heerd  the  other  shoot  he  was  to  run  over. 
They  separated  an'  soon  one  heerd  the  other  shoot. 
He  run  over  an'  as  he  went  heerd  another  shot. 
He  run  faster  an'  soon  come  to  a  place  where  a  fight 
had  been,  an'  found  a  gun  a-layin'  on  the  ground. 
He  saw  nothin'  of  his  partner,  an'  pickin'  up  the 
gun  was  'bout  to  go  back,  when  his  dogs  barked  up 
a  leanin'  tree.  He  looked  up  an'  his  blood  run  cold 
when  he  see  his  pardner  half  torn  ter  pieces  layin' 
'cross  the  tree  trunk,  a  big,  bloody  cat  crouchin' 
jest  beyond  him,  his  eyes  glitterin'  an'  his  ole  tail 
a-swishin'.  He  took  keerful  aim  an'  let  'er  go.  The 
cat  kim  down,  shot  through  the  lower  jaw  an'  shoul- 
ders, but  he  managed  to  claw  the  inside  works  outen 
a  dog  or  two  'fore  he  died,  an'  was  a-tryin'  durn 
hard  to  git  his  second  man,  when  a  bullet  atween 
the  eyes  settled  him.  I  tell  ye !  These  cats  'round 
here  are  mighty  dangerous.  If  ever  ye  shoot  at  one, 
be  sure  ye  take  him  atween  the  eyes  er  in  the  ear 
sideways.  If  ye  don't  care  to  shoot,  jest  stan'  an' 
stare  at  'em.  They  rarely  jump  a  feller  who  stan's 
his  groun'  an'  lets  'em  alone.  But  here  we  be,  at 
the  north  end  o'  our  tract." 


126        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

As  Uncle  Festus  spoke,  he  stepped  to  the  brink  of 
a  high  bank  or  ledge  which  here  fell  sheer  some 
thirty  or  forty  feet  to -the  tide  flats.  The  tide  was 
at  its  full,  and  set  back  eastward  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
forming  what  is  called,  along  shore  a  "slew."  The 
tides  in  the  Puget  Sound  region  are  much  higher 
than  the  average  of  other  coasts.  Along  Hood's 
Canal  the  change  is  occasionally  as  great  as  eight- 
een or  twenty  feet,  and  is  often  thirteen  to  fifteen 
feet  opposite  the  delta  of  the  Ducquebush  or 
Doseewallops.  The  wind  has  much  to  do  with  these 
tides.  For  instance,  let  a  strong  "chinooker"  blow 
from  the  south  when  the  tide  is  going  out, 
especially  at  the  right  time  of  the  moon,  and  Hats 
and  rocks  unexposed  maybe  for  years  will  appear. 
Again,  let  a  tempestuous  wind  from  north  or  north- 
west blow  in  the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  for  several 
days,  and  as  the  tide  commences  to  come  in,  change 
to  the  north,  continuing  its  force,  there  will  be  a 
tide  that  is  equal  to  a  flood.  A  tide  running  like  a 
mill-race,  and  creating  "rips"  around  certain  points 
exceedingly  dangerous  to  small  craft. 

The  canal,  as  this  long  arm  of  the  sound  is  called, 
is  not  very  wide  on  the  average.  In  many  places 
not  more  than  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  as 
the  water  rushes  in  or  out  when  tides  are  moving,  it 
creates  a  current  in  such  narrow  channels  not 
unlike  that  of  a  mighty  river.  The  most  wonderful 
exhibition  of  this  kind  in  the  world  is  at  Deception 
Pass,  at  the  north  end  of  Whidby  Island  and  between 
it  and  Fidalgo.  Here  few  steamers,  if  indeed  any 
craft  afloat,  can  stem  a  tide,  and  going  through  with 


SEABECKS  "BUSTED  BOOM"  127 

one  is  an  experience  as  exciting  as  the  running  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  rapids.  It  is  therefore  a  most 
desirable  harbor  or  booming-place  along  the  canal 
that  lies  within  projecting  bluff  points;  i.e.,  an 
indentation  east  or  west.  Such  an  indentation  was 
now  before  them.  The  points  were  not  over  a  half- 
mile  apart,  but  they  were  bold,  and  the  ridges  they 
formed  did  not  come  together  until  the  slew  had 
narrowed  to  fifty  yards  or  less.  Here  there  was  a 
slight  fall  of  water  at  low  tide,  and  farther  back  was 
an  insignificant  run  or  swale.  This  water-course, 
as  they  found,  extended  back  to  the  cast  line  of  the 
lot  they  were  to  log,  and  all  this  lot,  which  was  a 
quarter  section  and  two  forties  (240  acres)  was 
drained  by  it.  This  lot,  too,  was  tolerably  level. 
That  is  to  say,  there  were  no  precipitous  grades, 
and  even  to  a  novice  like  Rex  it  was  apparent  that 
one  main  road  right  back  up  the  ran,  with  lateral 
roads  north  and  south,  would  cover  the  entire  lot. 
This  was  a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  for  in 
lumbering  in  so  rough  a  country  as  Washington,  the 
advantageous  lay  of  the  land  on  any  lot  or  lots  is 
an  important  item. 

"I  kalkerlate  I  kin  put  them  roads  in  fer  frum 
S300  to  $500  less  n  what  I  could  on  any  other  lot  o' 
that  size  I  ever  see,"  remarked  Uncle  Festus,  as 
after  a  tour  of  the  lots  they  sat  down  near  the  beach 
to  draw  apian  of  the  roads.  This  tramp,  which  had 
been  in  a  sense  an  inspection  and  estimate  of  the 
timber,  had  taken  considerable  time,  and  the}r  found 
the  tide  at  its  lowest  on  their  return.  "Do  ye  see 
how  sharp  that  bluff  is  on  both  sides  o'  this  bay? 


128  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

It's  straight  up  an'  down  clean  up  to  the  slew  on 
both  sides  an'  flat  enough  on  top,  so  we  kin  make 
a  road  along  either  side  or  both.  Even  at  low 
tide  there's  enough  water  in  the  bay  to  move  a 
log  about,  an'  there  won't  be  any  gittin'  up  in  the 
night  to  move  logs,  so  as  to  take  advantage  o' 
the  tides.  No;  I'm  s'prised  that  this  piece  ain't 
never  ben  logged  afore  an'  I'm  s'prised,  too,  that 
Bowman  was  willin'  to  give  me  $4  fer  loggin'  this 
off." 

"I've  an  idea  you  won't  find  $4  any  too  much 
before  you  are  through  with  the  job,"  said  Rex, 
quietly. 

"Why?  Ain't  that  a  big  price?  Ain't  this  an 
easy  lot?" 

"Yes;  it's  a  big  price  for  these  times,  but  these 
hard  times  are  not  going  to  last.  Since  you've  been 
talking  of  logging  and  have  given  me  such  a  splen- 
did chance,  I've  been  looking  into  all  sides  of 
the  business,  and  I  find  lumber  and  logs  in  this 
region  to  be  slowly  on  the  rise.  Logs  that  a  year 
ago  were  worth  only  $4.50  at  the  mills  are  now 
worth  $5  and  $6.  We  are  in  the  first  month  of  '96. 
I  predict  that  one  year  from  next  April  logs  will  be 
worth  $8,  and  labor  consequently  demanding  more. 
Do  you  see  the  point — how  good  times  will  work 
against  you?" 

"I  do,"  said  the  old  man  thoughtfully,  "an'  it's  a 
p'int  I  might  not  a  grabbed  onter.  I'm  thinkin' 
you'll  not  be  a  deadhead  in  this  enterprise,  as  Jim 
Blaine  uster  say.  This  tip  you  jest  gin  me  is  wuth 
half  a  year's  salary,  fer  it  warns  me  to  git  in  all  the 


SEABECK'S  "BUSTED  BOOM"       129 

men  I  kin  an'  push  things  while  labor  is  cheap. 
The  fust  thing  is  a  camp,  an'  I'll  begin  that  to-mor- 
rer  mornin'." 


CHAPTER   XVII 

REX    SECURES    SOME    "DOMESTIC    HELP" UNCLE    FESTUS 

SURPRISED 

The  morning  following  Uncle  Festus  and  Rex 
separated  at  Seabeck,  the  former  to  go  to  the  lots 
with  a  gang  of  men  and  build  a  camp,  the  latter  to 
go  by  steamer  to  Seattle  to  bring  back  certain 
needed  supplies  and  such  desirable  men  as  might 
have  answered  the  advertisement. 

"Now,  boy,"  Uncle  Festus  had  said  the  night 
before,  "I'm  a-goin'  ter  throw  more  responsibility 
onto  ye  than  is  usual  with  boys,  an'  green  ones  at 
that,  but  I  don't  kalkerlate  I'll  miss  it  any.  I  notice 
ye're  willin'  ter  take  advice  an'  ye  air  inclined  to 
look  inter  a  thing  'fore  ye  take  hold  on  it,  an'  that's 
the  reason  I'm  goin'  ter  send  ye  to  Seattle  ter  buy 
the  first  grub  stake.  I  expect  ye'll  git  stuck  'bout 
$50,  but  I'm  goin'  ter  try  ye  jest  the  same.  Here  is 
the  list  about  as  we  talked  it,  only  as  I've  concluded 
ter  put  on  a  double  gang  an'  push  things,  ye've  got 
ter  increase  it  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  per  cent. 
The  only  hint  I've  got  ter  give  ye,  is  this:  ye're 
goin'  with  cash  in  yer  fist  an'  we've  no  favors  ter 
ask  o'  these  dealers.  Make  'em  sell  ye  right.  Take 
yer  time  an'  git  'em  down  where  ye  think  they  orter 
be.  You'll  hev  ter  wait  here  an  hour  or  two  fer  the 
boat,  but  I'm  off  fer  the  lot.  I'm  takin'  seven  men 
back  with  me  from  Seabeck  here,  ye  know,  an'   I 

130 


REX  SECURES  SOME  "DOMESTIC  HELP''     131 

want  about  twenty  more  about  a  week  from  next 
Tuesday  mornin'.  To-day's  Wednesday.  You  kim 
back  here — a  week  from  next  Tuesday  the  boat 
comes  up — an'  I'll  hev  accommodations  fer  thirty 
men,  the  sixteen  bulls  an'  three  horses  we  expect. 
I'll  also  hev  the  hay  purchased  an'  delivered,  so  ye 
needn't  bother  about  that.  You'll  find  I'm  a  pusher 
in  the  woods  or  at  makin'  a  camp.  You'll  naterally 
think  I'm  a-givin'  you  a  snap  when  I  give  ye  ten 
days  or  more  to  hire  twenty-fire  men  an'  buy  sup- 
plies, but  I  expect  ye 're  a-goin'  to  shop,  my  boy. 
'Shoppin'  '  is  the  word.  Figger  right  down  close. 
What  ye  save  is  as  good  as  twice  aimed.  Don't  buy 
cheap  labor  or  cheap  goods,  'less'n  they  be  reely  an' 
truly  cheap.  It  don't  pay.  On  t'other  hand,  don't 
let  any  one  git  an}7  fancy  prices  outen  ye.  You  may 
send  me  ten  keg  o'  nails  an'  spikes,  a  half-dozen 
hammers  an'  that  list  o'  axes,  adz,  saws  an'  so  on, 
as  I've  made  out  here.  I  shall  be  splittin'  shakes 
the  first  two  days,  but  after  that  I  want  these,  so 
send  'em  on  the  first  boat.  Now  good-by,  boy. 
Use  yer  head  an'  let's  see  what  kind  of  a  purchasin' 
agent  ye  be.  Give  yer  mother  my  best  regards," 
and  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  he  trotted  off. 

Rex  rushed  back  to  the  house  for  his  rifle,  and 
returning  with  it,  struck  a  similar  trot  down  the 
beach.  It  looked  as  if  he  intended  enjoying  a  short 
hunt  before  the  boat  came,  but  such  was  not  his 
object.  He  had  seen  a  lumber  camp  a  mile  or  two 
north  as  he  rode  up  on  the  steamer,  and  he  now 
intended  to  hurry  down  and  gather  some  information 
while  waiting.     The   tide   was  low,    and  the  beach 


ISN'T  THAT  WORTH  SAVING,  REX^ 
132 


REX  SECURES  SOME   "DOMESTIC  HELP"      133 

furnished  a  tolerably  clear  trail.  He  was  swift  of 
foot,  and  just  as  the  steamer  rounded  Black  Point 
from  out  the  Ducquebush  for  Brinnon,  some  eight 
or  ten  miles  across,  opposite  Seabeck,  he  had  reached 
the  camp  in  question  and  had  a  good  two  hours 
before  the  boat  would  arrive.  Rex  was  always  ready 
in  making  acquaintances,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  he 
had  the  foreman  of  the  camp  talking  as  if  he  had 
known  him  all  his  life.  This  camp  was  a  model  in 
its  way,  being  that  of  one  of  the  largest  mill  com- 
panies on  the  sound,  and  the  next  two  hours  were 
well  put  in  by  this  keen-witted  boy.  He  could  only 
see  one  fault  in  the  management,  and  that  was  in 
the  cook-house,  where  a  greasy,  slouchy  negro  pre- 
sided, aided  by  another  and  smaller  African  equally 
greasy,  dirty  and  slouchy.  "There's  a  hundied 
dollars  a  month  wasted  right  there,"  mused  Rex. 
"Two  good  smart  women  at  half  the  pay,  would  set 
things  out  in  better  shape  and  at  far  less  expense." 
He  spoke  out  to  this  effect  and  was  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  find  that  the  foreman  agreed  with  him.  He 
declared,  however,  it  was  unavoidable,  for  the  reason 
that  women  who  would  live  amid  such  surroundings 
were  generally  as  untidy  as  the  men.  Rex  was  so 
interested  in  this  important  branch  of  the  business 
that  he  did  not  signal  the  steamer,  but  decided  to 
accept  an  invitation  to  stay  to  early  dinner  and  later 
walk  across  the  peninsula  by  a  rough  trail  to  Silver- 
dale  over  on  the  east  side.  All  that  day  he  pondered 
on  some  method  of  obviating  this  waste.  On  his 
arrival  at  Seattle  he  oidered  his  bill  of  hardware, 
and  having  shipped  it  to   "Camp   Estus,  "    Hood's 


134        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Canal,  took  a  car  for  home,  where  he  found  his 
mother  unusually  anxious  to  see  him. 

The  poor  woman  had  never  been  so  lonesome,  and 
while  she  did  not  wish  to  do  or  say  anything  that 
should  deter  Rex  from  his  undertaking,  found  it 
exceedingly  difficult  to  be  at  all  cheerful.  It  had 
always  been  Rex's  custom  to  talk  over  all  his  plans 
with  his  mother,  and  he  found  her  at  this  time  par- 
ticularly interested.  She  listened  attentively  and 
offered  many  suggestions  that  proved  her  a  woman 
of  an  exceedingly  strong  business  turn.  His  narra- 
tion of  the  waste  at  the  camp  he  had  visited  seemed 
to  impress  her  more  than  all  else,  and  after  their 
evening  dinner,  while  Rex  was  at  his  figures  and 
calculations,  she  sat  for  a  long  time  in  deep  medita- 
tion.    As  he  finally  finished,  she  asked: 

"Rex,  how  much  is  it  going  to  cost  us  to  run  this 
establishment  while  you  are  away?" 

"Why,  mother,  I  haven't  figured  on  that.  I  wrant 
you  to  have  a  girl  for  company,  and  I  shall  come 
over  at  least  once  a  week.  I  presume  $50  a  month 
or  a  little  more  will  cover  it. " 

"Isn't  that  worth  saving,  Rex?" 

"Why,  yes;  but  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be  saved. 
You've  got  to  live,  mother,  and  I  want  you  to  live 
well.  That  is  one  reason  why  I  am  branching  out 
in  this  business.  I  don't  care  what  hardships  I 
undergo,  so  long  as  you  are  having  an  easy  time  of 
it." 

The  little  woman  sat  silent  for  a  time,  her  lips 
trembling  and  her  eyes  brimming  with  tears. 
Finally  the  tears  forced  their  way  and  ran  down  over 


REX  SECURES  SOME  "DOMESTIC  HELP"      135 

her  cheeks.  This  devotion,  this  unselfish  regard  for 
her,  touched  her  mother's  heart,  and  even  as  she 
wept,  she  was  probably  at  that  minute  as  proud  a 
mother  as  could  be  found  in  all  the  city.  She  finally 
arose,  and  walking-  over  to  Rex's  chair,  knelt  down 
beside  it,  and  taking  his  face  between  her  hands, 
kissed  him  just  as  she  used  to  when  he  was  a  child. 
Then,  holding  his  head  away,  she  looked  him  in  the 
eyes  very  steadily,  the  tears  flowing  faster  than 
ever. 

"Why,  mother,  you  won't  mind  my  leaving  you, 
will  you?  I  mean  to  make  you  just  as  comfortable 
as  ever.  I'm  sorry  I  can't  get  something  to  do  here 
in  Seattle  so  as  to  be  with  you,  but  in  these  times  it 
does  n't  seem  possible.  I'll  be  at  home  as  often  as  I 
can,  and  you  won't  be  so  very  lonely?" 

His  evident  distress  affected  her  more  than  ever, 
and  strive  as  she  would,  her  agitation  momentarily 
increased.  By  a  great  effort,  however,  she  finally 
managed  to  regain  her  composure,  and  resumed  her 
chair.  Here  she  sat  looking  very  sad  and  penitent, 
and  finally,  in  a  pitiful  little  voice,  exclaimed:  "I'm 
afraid,  Rex,  I'm  not  much  of  a  Spartan.  I've  cer- 
tainty no  excuse  for  such  conduct,  because  I  know 
it's  childish  and  unreasonable." 

"No,  mother;  you're  not  unreasonable.  I  under- 
stand you  if  other  people  might  not,  and  I  know  this 
to  be  an  evidence  of  your  great  love  for  me.  I  love 
you  all  the  better  for  it." 

"Well,  there!  If  you  understand  me,  Rex,  I'm 
glad  I  had  my  cry.  I  always  feel  better  afterward. 
I'm  all  right  now.     1  have  a  plan.     I  was  afraid  to 


136        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

mention  it,  but,  Rex — it's — it's  a  real  good  one. 
You  won't  laugh  at  me  if  I  tell  it?" 

"Laugh  at  you?  Well,  I  guess  not.  I'd  like  to 
see  the  man  that  would." 

"Rex,  I  want  to  go  with  you  to  the  logging 
camp." 

"What!  Great  Scott,  mother!  You  don't  know 
what  you're  asking.  Do  you  realize  that  we  shall 
live  in  a  shake-house  not  as  good  as  our  shed  out 
here?  A  house  built  of  green  shakes  and  puncheon? 
It's  terribly  wild  out  there,  too,  mother.  Right 
next  the  beach.  The  waves  beat  and  thunder  night 
and  day,  and  the  great,  gloomy  forest,  with  all  kinds 
of  wild  animals  in  it,  comes  right  down  to  the 
shore." 

"I  guess  there  won't  be  any  royal  Bengal  tigers, 
anacondas  or  lions,"  said  she,  smiling  mischievously. 

"There'll  be  cougar  or  mountain  lion,  and  they're 
as  bad,  mother." 

"I  can  risk  all  that,  Rex,  for  after  I  get  there  I 
shan't  go  roaming  about  any.  You  and  Mr.  Estus  can 
build  me  a  little  pen  Somewhere  that  I  can  live  in, 
and  where  I  can  see  you  often.  You  must  remem- 
ber, Rex,  that  you're  the  only  living  relative  I  have. 
But  that  isn't  the  only  reason  I  have  for  wanting 
to  go.  I  can  be  of  great  use  to  you  and  your 
employer.  Small  as  I  am,  you  know  that  I  am  a 
good  manager,  and  that  I  can  do  more  work  than 
most  women  twice  my  size.  I  pride  myself  par- 
ticularly on  my  management.  You  knowl've  always 
managed  help  that  no  one  else  could.  Now,  why 
could  I  not  go  over  to  that  camp,  taking  with  me  a 


REX  SECURES  SOME  "DOMESTIC  HELP"      137 

couple  of  good  girls,  and  do  the  same  work  that 
three  big,  greasy  men  will  be  paid  twice  as  much 
for  doing?  You  say  you're  going  to  run  a  double 
gang  of  thirty  or  forty  men.  Well !  Even  with  one 
girl  I  could  cook  for  that  many,  and  with  two  good 
girls  I  can  run  things  to  suit  you  and  fold  my  hands 
half  the  time.  Come,  now,  Rex" — here  she  assumed 
a  comical  look,  even  while  tears  glistened  in  her 
eyes — "geev  yo'r  pore  moother  a  yob!     Yaas!" 

Her  Swedish  accent  was  so  perfect  and  her 
gestures  so  comical,  that  Rex  burst  into  loud  laugh- 
ter, and  when  she  stared  at  him  as  solemn  as  an  owl 
and  added,  "I  save  yo  heap  moanee,  I  veree  yonest, 
yaas!"  he  could  only  laugh  the  harder  and  exclaim, 
"Mother!  you're  a  born  comedian." 

"No,  but  I'm  a  born  cook,  and  I'm  going  to  close 
up  this  house  and  go  with  you.  If  Mr.  Estus  won't 
pay  me,  I'll  do  the  work  for  my  board,  and  we'll  be 
ahead  then,  for  we  certainly  won't  ha^e  house  rent 
or  grocery  or  fuel  bills  to  pay.  Say  'yes,'  Rex! 
Quick!" 

"Yes,  Mother,  but  how  in  the  world  you're  ever 
going  to  live  through  it,  I'm  sure  I  don't  see." 

"I'll  show  you,  young  man.  Go  to  bed  now  and 
rest,  for  I  shall  wake  you  early.  We  must  go  down 
town  and  purchase  all  those  supplies  to-morrow. 

Rex  arose  at  five  o'clock  the  following  morning, 
that  he  might  have  time  to  write  to  Uncle  Festus. 
and  catch  the  seven  o'clock  boat.  He  detailed 
progress,  and  wound  up  with  these  words:  "I  wish 
to  inform  you  that  I  shall  bring  a  widow  lady  and 
two  smart  Swede  girls  to  cook  for  us,  in  place  of  the 


138        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

colored  or  Chinee  help  you  mentioned.  I  shall  hire 
the  girls  at  about  half  or  two-thirds  what  male  help 
would  cost,  and  as  for  the  widow  lady,  she  allows 
you  to  name  your  own  price.  I  know  she  is  a  good 
cook,  for  I  have  eaten  her  cookery  all  my  life. 
Her  name  is  Mrs.  Margaret  Wayland. " 

"Gee  Whilikins!"  was   the   old   man's   comment 
when  he  read  this  letter. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

A    MODEL    LOGGING    CAMP    DESCRIBED 

To  say  that  Rex  was  surprised  at  the  transforma- 
tion when  he  reached  Camp  Estus  would  be  to  put  it 
mildly.  He  was  amazed.  What  looked  like  a  small 
village  stood  in  a  sheltered  spot  on  the  bluff.  From 
this  cluster  of  buildings  was  a  clean-cut  path  through 
the  brush  to  the  edge  of  the  bank  and  leading  down 
from  it  was  a  wide  pair  of  steps.  These  were 
fastened  to  small  piles  at  the  bottom,  where  floated  a 
platform  some  twenty-five  feet  square,  with  a  small 
cabin  upon  it,  for  the  reception  of  supplies  in  rainy 
weather.  This  platform  rose  and  fell  with  the  tide 
and  extended  out  far  enough  so  that  even  at  low 
tide  a  steamer  could  draw  up  alongside.  A  large 
four-oared  whaleship  tender  was  tied  to  one  of  the 
piles  and  as  the  steamer  drew  up,  Uncle  Festus 
carefully  pulled  this  in  out  of  the  way. 

"Quite  a  boat  ye  got  there,  Mr.  Festus,"  called  out 
a  deck  hand. 

"Mr.  Estus,  if  it  pleases  ye,"  said  the  old  man  with 
great  dignity,  at  the  same  time  raising  his  hat  to 
Mrs.  Wayland,  who  was  leaning  over  the  rail. 
"Yes,"  he  assented,  "I  kalkerlate  that's  one  o'  the 
best  an'  safest  boats  along  shore  anywhere,  but  it's 
none  too  good  fer  the  best  camp  of  'em  all.  Any 
camp  what's  got  ladies  in  it  ought  to  hev  a  good 
boat.     That's  why  I  sent  fer  this  one." 

1^9 


140  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


"I  guess  you're  going  to  feed  your  men,  Mr. 
Estus,  judgin'  from  the  grub  we've  got  aboard  fer 
you,"  called  out  Captain  Troutman. 

"Them's  the  intentions,  Cap'n.  They  won't  be 
an)r  blanket  trail  runnin'  in  an'  out  this  camp. "  At 
this  there  was  a  general  laugh,  for  it  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  many  camps  keep  the  trails  to  and  from 
the  beach  well  worn  by  the  feet  of  half-starved 
workmen,  who  come  in,  stand  the  fare  as  long  as 
they  can  and  then,  shouldering  their  blankets, 
depart.  By  this  time  the  gang-plank  was  down,  and 
Mrs.  Wayland,  accompanied  by  two  blooming  Swede 
girls,  stepped  ashore.  The  whole  party  stood  for  a 
moment  watching  the  deck-hands  roll  and  set  out 
the  barrels  of  flour,  sugar,  pork  and  beans,  the 
boxes  of  dried  fruits,  bags  ^)f  oatmeal,  rice  and  mill 
feed,  together  with  a  whole  beef  in  quarters.  Nearly 
a  dozen  stalwart  workmen  had  followed  down  to  the 
landing.  Uncle  Festus  gave  them  directions  as  to 
the  storehouse,  and  then,  turning  to  the  ladies, 
invited  them  to  the  house.  "You  kin  come  too,  if  ye 
wanter, "  he  continued,  addressing  Rex,  who.  in 
open-mouthed  wonder,  stood  looking  at  the  collec- 
tion of  buildings,  literally  split,  hewed  and  chopped 
out  of  the  standing  growth  of  forest  within  ten 
days.  "What  d'ye  think  of  my  shake  shanties, 
boyee?     Ain't  I  an  arkytec  allee  same  as  a  builder?" 

"Well!  I  should  say,  Uncle  Festus.  How  in  the 
world  did  you  ever  do  all  this  in  so  short  a  time?" 

"Oh!  easy  enough,  although  I  didn't  do  it  with 
seven  men.  After  you  went  that  day,  we  set  to 
work   a-cuttin'   an'    splittin'    shakes   an'    puncheon. 


—  .est,  si  t 

v 


WHAT  D'YE  THINK  OF  MY  SHAKE  SHANTIES,  BOYEE?" 
141 


242        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Also  gittin'  out  the  poles  for  timbers.  'Fore  noon, 
a  gang  o'  five  Swedes  kim  along  an'  struck  me  fer 
a 'yob. '  They  seemed  good,  likely  fellows,  an'  I 
tole  'em  it  was  a  stiddy  yob  when  the  big  boss 
come,  if  they  worked  well.  Ye  ought  a  seen  'em 
hustle;  an'  they're  handy,  too.  One  on  'em  made 
that  there  fire-place  and  chimney  outen  stun  from 
that  there  ledge,  an'  he  swars  it's  stun  what  won't 
crack,  too.  I've  sent  fer  some  lime,  an'  he's  a-goin' 
to  make  mortar  an'  pint  it  up.  Don't  need  much 
pintin'  up,  however.  Y^e  can't  throw  no  cat  through 
a  wall  that  feller  puts  up.  But  as  the  auction  crier 
says,    'Come  in!     Come  in!'  " 

The  nearest  building  was  fifty  feet  long  and  fully 
thirty  wide.  But  one  story  in  height,  it  looked  very 
odd.  Uncle  Festus  pulled  a  latch-string  and  ushered 
the  party  into  a  room  about  twelve  feet  deep  and 
thirty  feet  wide.  At  the  east  end  was  an  open  grate 
stove,  which  he  explained  came  with  a  half-dozen 
other  stoves  in  the  Bowman  outfit.  Near  this  stove 
was  an  excellent  desk  with  pigeon-holes,  and  across 
from  it  sat  a  large  safe,  in  which  Uncle  Festus 
seemed  to  take  great  pride.  He  declared  "they 
wusn't  a  bigger  safe'n  that  in  some  cities."  The 
other  half  of  this  long  room  was  entirely  occupied 
with  racks  and  receptacles  for  axes,  saws,  peavies, 
files,  chains,  wire  rope,  hooks,  etc.  The  old  gentle- 
man gravely  informed  Rex  that  this  collection  he 
would  have  charge  of,  and  that  no  man  could  take 
one  without  a  written  order,  which  stood  as  a  charge 
against  him  until  the  return  of  the  tool. 

Directly  opposite  the  entrance  was  another  door, 


A  MODEL  LOGGING  CAMP  DESCRIBED        143 

which  Uncle  Festus  threw  open  with  a  flourish,  dis- 
closing a  room  about  fifteen  feet  square,  at  the  side 
of  which  was  a  rude,  but  very  attractive,  fire-place, 
with  big  andirons  which  had  been  resurrected  from 
somewhere.  "This  is  the  council  room,  whar  the 
staff  will  set  an'  consider  ways  an'  means,  while 
they  toast  their  shins.  This  next  is  the  ladies' 
budwares,  although  I  ain't  had  time  ter  git  in  the 
Lewy  Nineteenth  furnitoor.  These  beds  are  all  thet 
come  an'  they  ain't  quite  what  I  wish  they  was, 
but  we  kin  git  some  funny-diddles  fer  'em  an'  then 
they'll  do." 

The  "budwares"  in  question  were  four  bedrooms, 
each  furnished  with  a  bed,  a  wash-stand  and  a  small 
stove.  Two  of  these  rooms,  those  for  Rex  and  his 
mother,  were  side  by  side  at  the  west  of  the  main 
room.  From  this  room,  extending  south,  was  a 
passage-way,  on  one  side  of  which  was  Uncle  Festus' 
room,  and  on  the  other  a  room  for  the  girls.  Next 
the  girls'  room  was  a  large  pantry  and  store-room, 
and  across  from  it  was  the  kitchen  or  cook-room. 
The  dining-room,  or  "grub-hall,"  was  fifteen  feet  by 
thirty.  A  door  at  the  farther  side  served  for  the 
ingress  and  egress  of  the  men,  and  a  long  table 
permitted  the  feeding  of  from  thirty  to  forty  men  at 
a  time.  Rex,  his  mother,  and  Uncle  Festus  were  to 
eat  at  another  table  in  the  room  where  the  fire-place 
was,  which  was,  in  fact,  a  sort  of  family  sitting  and 
reading  room.  The  floors  of  this  as  well  as  other 
buildings  were  of  puncheon — logs  split  about  four 
inches  thick  and  hewed  to  a  joint  at  the  edges. 
This  as  well  as  all  other  buildings  was  in  every  sense 


144        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

hewed  or  split  from  growing  trees.  Its  shake  sides 
and  roof  and  its  puncheon  floors  were  from  cedar. 
Its  pole  frame  Avar,  from  spruce,  cat,  mortised  and 
joined  with  pins  and  spikes.  So  far  as  proportion 
was  concerned,  no  carpenter  could  have  done  better 
with  the  best  of  materials,  but  of  course  all  the  build- 
ings were  very  rough. 

The  bunk  hall,  just  south  of  the  main  building, 
was  larger  on  the  ground.  It  was  heated  by  a  huge 
iron  stove,  standing  in  the  center  of  the  room,  and 
around  the  outside  of  this  big  room  were  the  bunks 
or  racks  for  the  men.  These  racks  were  similar  to 
those  seen  in  any  colonist  sleeper,  though  more 
roughly  made,  and  each  occupant  furnished  his  own 
bedding,  lugging  it  into  camp  on  his  back,  as  is  the 
custom.  This  building  had  bunks  for  thirty-six 
men.  The  largest  building  of  all  was  the  "bull 
barn"  or  stables.  There  were  sixteen  of  these  great 
oxen,  not  one  of  which  would  girt  less  than  eight 
feet,  just  back  of  the  shoulders,  and  there  were  three 
horses,  or  rather  a  mule  team  and  one  horse.  The 
horse  was  a  saddle-pony  for  use  in  running  errands. 
The  mules  could  be  worked  in  team  or  singly,  and 
were  very  handy  to  snake  out  small  pieces  of  timber. 
Of  course,  a  large  stable  was  needed.  It  must 
contain  roomy  stalls,  sufficient  space  to  store  fifteen 
or  twenty  tons  of  hay  on  a  pinch,  and  have  room  not 
only  for  grain  or  mill  feed  boxes,  but  a  passage  way 
down  the  center.  The  stable  here  erected  was  one 
hundred  by  thirty  feet.  Then  there  was  a  storehouse 
for  provisions,  and  a  blacksmith  shop  with  its  sling 
or   rack   for   hoisting   up    oxen    while    being   shod. 


A  MODEL  LOGGING  CAMP  DESCRIBED        145 

There  was  a  commodious  spring  or  wash-house 
where  the  men  could  wash  their  clothing.  Finally, 
there  was  the  saw-filing  shed,  with  its  long  clamps  for 
holding  saws  and  its  big  grindstone  for  sharpening 
edged  tools. 

As  Uncle  Festus  had  stated,  he  had  twelve  experi- 
enced and  capable  men  besides  himself.  Rex  had 
brought  up  nineteen  more  together  with  the  women, 
making  thirty-three  in  all  not  including  the  two 
bosses.  Both  Rex  and  Uncle  Festus  had  been  very 
particular  in  their  selection  of  men  and  there  was  not 
a  poor  stick  among  them. 

The  average  logger  is  but  a  grade  above  the  com- 
mon sailor,  and  in  most  camps  there  is  no  encour- 
agement to  be  otherwise.  It  is  possible,  however, 
to  choose  help.  A  new  camp  starting  out  under 
good  auspices,  and  conducted  on  a  cash  basis,  has 
no  difficulty  in  taking  such  men  as  it  may  want  from 
the  older  and  more  poorly  managed  camps.  The 
best  men  are  always  those  who  have  the  most  self- 
respect,  and  who  are  neat  and  tidy  in  appearance. 
Such  men  prefer  a  new  camp,  because  of  new,  clean 
buildings.  Camp  Estus  was  also  offering  fifteen- 
day  payments  in  cash.  This  attracted  the  best  men 
from  the  mills  and  camps  running  "company"  stores, 
and  paying  in  "cats  and  dogs"  instead  of  cash.  The 
modus  operandi  of  logging  in  Washington  is  so 
different  from  that  in  vogue  elsewhere  that  a  detailed 
description  may  prove  interesting. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

jow  they  log  in  washington "uncle,  angeline's 

dead" 

Logging  is  the  principal  business  of  the  great 
Puget  Sound  region,  and  nowhere  else  in  the  world 
is  it  such  an  exact  science.  It  should  first  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  average  product  of  each  acre  of 
timber  in  this  region  is  at  least  twice  that  of  any- 
other  section  on  account  of  the  great  height  and  size 
of  the  trees.  The  average  product  guaranteed  to 
purchasers  of  timber  land  in  this  region  is  often 
sixty  thousand  feet  per  acre  and  generally  little 
below  that,  while  from  some  particular  sections  such 
cuts  have  been  made  as  are  beyond  belief.  On  the 
lot  to  be  logged  by  Camp  Estus  experienced  loggers 
had  estimated  seventy  thousand  feet  per  acre,  but 
this  Uncle  Festus  hardly  hoped  for,  until  he  came  to 
"cruise"  it.  At  the  outset,  he  and  Mr.  Bowman  had 
figured  on  but  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  or  a 
quarter  section,  but  the  day  before  the  contract  was 
cosummated,  a  company  owning  eighty  acres  to  the 
northeast,  had  decided  to  accept  an  offer  of  Bowman 
&  Hatch  for  the  logs,  and  the  contract  had  been 
made  to  cover  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Lum- 
bermen always  aim  to  log  as  large  a  tract  as  possible 
from  one  camp,  and  this  was  good  news. 

Now  that  the  camp  was  ready,  roads  must  be  put 
in,  a  task  requiring  experience  and  excellent  judg- 

146 


HOW  THEY  LOG  IN  WASHINGTON  147 

ment.  Uncle  Festus  and  Rex  had  hired  only  the 
best  of  men,  but  to  none  of  these  would  the  old 
gentleman  intrust  the  laying  out  of  roads.  The 
proper  lay-out  of  these  roads  meant  a  saving  of 
possibly  $1,000  or  $2,000.  Armed  with  a  light  axe, 
Uncle  Festus  started  out,  making  his  way  directly 
through  the  center  of  the  lot,  toward  the  rear,  "blaz- 
ing" or  hewing  marks  on  the  trees  as  he  went.  To 
the  inexperienced,  he  seemed  at  times  following  a 
devious  course,  for  he  crossed  the  run  at  intervals 
and  bore  to  the  north  or  south,  but  the  "swampers" 
decided  "the  old  man  knew  his  biz,"  for  the  reason 
that  they  found  no  important  fills  or  cuts  and  no 
up-hill  hauls.  That  is  to  say,  this  main  road,  as 
planned,  was  all  the  way  down-hill  toward  the 
beach.  At  one  or  two  places  he  was  obliged  to 
blaze  out  a  double  road,  or  two  roads  side  by  side, 
to  avoid  a  rise  in  the  lateral  or  branch  roads.  The 
first  day  he  picked  his  way  and  blazed  this  road  clear 
to  the  further  line,  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile  as  the 
bird  flies  and  with  its  windings  much  more.  After 
him  came  three  swampers,  who  cut  down  and 
dragged  to  one  side  the  small  growth.  These  were 
cut  anywhere  handiest,  from  the  ground  to  three 
feet  up.  Close  behind  came  a  gang  of  six  "grub- 
bers" with  roothooks,  grubbing  axes,  ordinary  axes 
and  saws.  After  these,  six  men  with  hand-spikes, 
peavies  and  other  tools,  and  a  team  of  four  oxen 
driven  by  one  man,  assisted  by  a  hook  tender  or 
chain  man.  Next  came  a  gang  of  six  with  picks, 
shovels,  spades,  etc.  The  swampers  cut  and  dragged 
to  one  side  all  growth  up  to  four  inches.     The  axe 


LOGGING  IN  WASHINGTON. 
148 


HOW  THEY  LOG  IX  WASHINGTON  149 

and  saw  men  cut  off  all  trees,  sawing  such  as  were 
large  enough  into  logs — no  log  less  than  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter  at  the  top  is  received  at  the 
mills — the  smaller  trees  into  skids  or  cross-pieces 
for  the  roads.  The  grubbers  cut  off  the  roots  of 
the  stumps  at  the  ground  or  dug  beneath,  as 
might  be  necessary,  the  chain  men  or  hook  tenders 
fastened  the  team  to  the  log  or  stump  that  was  to  be 
twitched  out.  or  if  the  stump  proved  too  large  it  was 
left  for  a  gang  that  was  yet  to  come.  This  gang 
carried  dynamite,  for  blowing  these  stumps  into 
fragments.  One  man  was  responsible  for  all  the 
dynamite  work,  and  he  had  an  assistant.  The  two 
kept  a  little  ahead  of  the  shovel  men  or  graders,  and 
the  explosions  they  caused  at  intervals  fairly  shook 
the  ground.  Not  only  stumps,  but  rocks  were 
shattered.  The  number  of  bridges  or  trestles  that 
it  was  found  necessary  to  build  across  the  run  was 
very  small,  so  well  had  the  road  been  planned,  and 
when  finished  it  was  as  smooth  as  a  house  floor, 
with  no  curves  worth  mentioning,  and  all  stumps  at 
the  sides  hewed  down  or  slanted  so  that  it  was 
impossible  for  any  log  in  a  long  string  to  catch  and 
stop  the  teams.  Last  of  all  came  six  men  with  a 
pair  of  mules.  Two  of  these  men,  with  picks,  dug 
shallow  trenches  across  the  road  every  four  or  six 
feet,  and  into  these  two  others  laid  the  short  logs  cut 
for  that  purpose.  After  being  put  in,  these  were 
packed  or  stamped  tightly  in  place.  Two  men,  each 
with  an  adz,  smoothed  off  the  top,  making  the 
middle  of  the  stick  a  little  lower  than  the  ends;  a 
man   with  a  bucket  of  grease  smeared  these  cross- 


150  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

pieces  with  a  paddle  of  wood,  after  which  the  road 
was  ready. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  every  man  was  used 
to  advantage,  and  that  the  work  went  rapidly 
forward.  At  the  end  of  the  first  three  days,  the 
main  road  had  been  pushed  back  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
and  then  the  construction  of  the  lateral  or  branch 
roads,  to  the  north  and  south,  was  commenced.  The 
putting  on  of  twenty-eight  men  at  the  roads  the  first 
week,  gave  them  such  a  start  that  early  the  follow- 
ing week  the  cutting  and  hauling  was  begun. 
Meanwhile  a  blacksmith  and  his  assistant  had  been 
putting  the  tools  in  order;  oxen  and  mules  had 
been  shod,  harness  had  been  mended,  goads  made, 
and  rope  spliced.  The  blacksmith  of  a  logging 
camp  must  be  a  man  of  versatility,  as  he  is  called 
upon  to  work  in  iron,  wire  and  wood.  Most  black- 
smiths would  be  at  a  loss  if  called  on  to  splice  wire 
rope,  yet  the  competent  logging  blacksmith  does  it, 
and  if  asked,  blocks  out,  finishes  up  and  irons  an  ox 
yoke,  or  sews  a  bit  of  harness.  He  knows  the 
proper  temper  for  each  tool,  and  his  welds  are  as 
strong  as  the  original  iron.  He  can  sling  up  and 
shoe  a  refractory  ox  or  horse  without  fuss,  and  if 
one  is  sick,  he  knows  as  much  about  doctoring  him 
as  the  teamster.  He  may  know  how  to  drive,  but 
there  he  draws  the  line.  He  may  criticise,  in  fact, 
always  does  criticise,  the  driving  freely,  but  he 
never  drives,  and  is  probably  wise  in  his  conserva- 
tism. The  art  of  driving  a  team  of  eight  to  twelve 
oxen,  horses  or  mules  and  making  all  pull  together, 
is   one  that  but  few  men  possess,  and  a  first-class 


HOW  THEY  LOG  IN  WASHINGTON  151 

teamster  is  therefore  a  valuable  and  high-priced 
man.  There  were  two  in  Camp  Estus,  both  good 
men,  each  jealous  of  the  other,  each  claiming  to  be 
the  better  man,  each  receiving  §100  per  month  and 
board.  One  made  the  "shent"  hauls  to  the  main  road, 
the  other  took  the  string  to  tide  water,  and  while 
they  should  have  worked  well  together,  both  taxed  the 
patience  of  their  employers  by  constant  bickerings. 
The  "fallers"  were  another  pair  of  aristocrats,  in  their 
line,  each  receiving  $80  per  month  and  board.  They 
were  not  worked  so  close  together  that  they  must 
needs  conflict,  yet  one  was  constantly  passing  criti- 
cism on  the  other,  and  if  one  happened  to  break  two 
trees  in  a  day,  the  other  never  ceased  picking  at  him 
until  he  was  equally  unfortunate.  This  rivalry  was 
really  a  good  thing  for  the  camp,  for  it  insured  careful 
falling.  The  talent  these  men  possess  is  wonderful, 
when  the  size,  weight  and  brittle  character  of  the 
great  trees  is  considered.  A  first-class  faller  cal- 
culates to  six  inches  the  distance  to  the  right  or  left  of 
the  place  he  will  lay  a  tree,  and  notching  out  his  scarf 
puts  his  men  at  the  proper  side,  while  the  rest  of  his 
gang  are  preparing  a  bed  of  brush  or  small  trees, 
that  shall  ease  the  fall  of  the  giant.  A  scarf  once 
cut,  the  long  saw  is  set  across,  and  soon  the  monster 
fir  is  seen  to  wave  at  the  top.  That  is  a  moment 
of  anxiety  to  the  faller,  for  a  little  too  deep  a  cut  of 
the  saw  on  either  side  may  send  the  great  tree  several 
feet  to  the  right  or  left  of  the  place  he  has  calculated 
on.  It  must  be  remembered  that  these  trees  are 
from  three  to  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  hold  their  size 
■Well,  and  are  from  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  to 


152  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  height.  They 
yield  all  the  way  from  one  thousand  five  hundred  to 
twelve  thousand  feet  each,  and  a  break,  where  long- 
sticks  may  be  desired,  is  bad  business.  So  accurate 
is  the  calculation  of  these  fallers,  that  many  will  work 
an  entire  season  with  only  two  or  three  bad  breaks 
to  his  charge.  The  fall  of  one  of  these  monsters  is 
a  grand  sight,  and  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  The 
blow  on  the  face  of  old  Earth  seems  to  make  the 
ground  quake  for  a  half-mile  around,  and  the  down- 
ward sweep  through  the  air  causes  a  disturbance 
among  the  lesser  growth  like  unto  a  small  hurricane. 
After  the  faller  and  his  gang  come  the  "rossers," 
or  barkers,  with  their  axes,  to  clear  away  the  debris 
and  peel  off  the  thick  bark  from  the  log.  At  some 
seasons  this  bark,  from  three  to  eight  inches  thick, 
sticks  very  tight,  and  this  job  of  rossing  is  an 
important  part  of  the  expense.  Following  these 
men  are  the  cutters,  or  saw  men.  There  are 
generally  four  of  these  to  each  gang  of  fallers. 
They  are  followed  by  the  team  and  hook  tenders, 
and  these  by  the  "greaser,"  dodging  about  here  and 
there  with  his  pail  of  dog  fish  oil  or  petroleum. 
This  grease  is  applied  in  such  quantities  that  it 
looks  like  waste,  but  without  it,  to  move  the  long 
strings  of  great  logs  would  be  impossible.  A 
single  log  six  feet  or  more  in  diameter  and  thirty 
feet  long  could  not  well  be  moved  on  ground  or 
skids,  by  even  these  great  teams,  were  it  not  for 
this  grease.  Aided  by  it,  however,  from  five  to 
eight  logs  are  moved  at  a  haul,  and  from  five 
thousand  to  ten  thousand  feet  taken  down. 


HOW  THEY  LOG  IN  WASHINGTON  153 

Working  two  gangs  of  fallers,  two  teams,  and  with 
plenty  of  men  everywhere,  Camp  Estus  was  a  busy 
place,  and  within  thirty  days  was  so  well  organized 
that  from  60,000  to  80,000  feet  of  logs  rolled  into  the 
bay  every  day.  During  the  first  two  months  nearly 
3,000,000  feet  were  boomed,  and  owing  to  careful 
calculations  and  favorable  circumstances,  the  camp 
was  clearing  from  $50  to  $75  per  day.  The  $5,000 
Uncle  Festus  had  hoped  to  make  during  the  year, 
seemed  more  likely  to  be  $15,000,  and  everything 
was  as  prosperous  as  the  most  ambitious  could  wish. 
Mrs.  Wayland  had  never  been  so  healthy  in  her  life, 
and  had  certainly  suffered  no  discomfort.  She  did 
not  miss  the  society  of  the  city  half  as  much  as  she 
had  expected  to,  especially,  as  accompanied  by 
Rex,  Uncle  Festus  and  the  girls,  she  had  gone  by 
boat  and  afoot  across  to  church.  Rex  had  developed 
into  an  excellent  man  of  business,  purchasing  all 
supplies  and  hiring  all  the  men.  Mrs.  Wayland 
accompanied  him  to  Seattle  occasionally,  and  found 
the  trips  charming,  as  trips  up  and  down  the  Sound 
always  are.  Both  were  very  happy,  for  they  were 
earning  and  saving.  Uncle  Festus  had  insisted  on 
raising  Rex's  pay  from  $75  to  $90,  and  Mrs.  Way- 
land's  from  $25  to  $35,  when  he  saw  how  things  were 
turning  out,  making  for  the  two  $125  per  month,  and 
board.  Out  of  this  they  were  saving  $100  per  month 
and  calculated  at  the  end  of  the  year  to  have  a  fund 
that  would  put  Rex  well  on  his  way  through  school. 
Rex  had  at  first  spent  some  of  his  evenings  studying 
Spanish,  but  latterly  the  study  had  been  neglected, 
and  he  was  fully  engrossed  in  the  logging  business. 


154  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

One  day,  however,  the  "Delta"  brought  up  the 
papers,  and  as  Rex  sat  down  on  the  wharf  to  read 
the  "P.  I.,"  he  saw  a  heading:  "Princess  Angeline 
Dead!"  He  hastily  read  the  article,  and  crushing 
the  paper  in  his  hand,  started  on  a  run  for  the  woods 
where  Uncle  Festus  was  superintending  operations. 
As  he  scurried  up  the  logging  road,  leaping  from  one 
cross-piece  to  another,  he  met  the  old  man.  "Uncle 
Festus,  Angeline  is  dead!" 

"Is  that  so?  Wall,  I'm  durn  sorry.  Poor  ole 
soul;  how  did  she  die?" 

"I  don't  know  that;  but  what  about  the  book? 
Can't  I  go  and  get  that  diary  now?" 

The  old  man  mused  a  minute,  and  then  said 
slowly:  "Why,  I  don't  see  any  reason  why  ye 
shouldn't.  Yes;  I  think  I  would.  I'd  be  kinder 
secret  about  it,  though." 

"Trust  me  for  that,"  said  Rex,  as  he  handed  the 
newspaper  to  the  old  man  and  bounded  away. 


CHAPTER    XX 

REX  SECURES  THE  DIARY  AND  HAS  A  THRILLING    ADVEN- 
TURE WITH    A  COUGAR 

So  great  was  his  anxiety  to  start  across  the  penin- 
sula that  Rex  was  half  inclined  to  leave  his  rifle 
behind,  but  as  he  did  not  dare  go  near  "Old  Man 
House"  before  nightfall  anyway,  he  had  plenty  of 
time  to  make  that  twelve  miles,  as  it  was  now  but 
2:45.  He  did  not  care  to  come  back  in  the  darkness 
without  arms,  so  he  concluded  to  go  for  the  weapon. 
His  mother  came  in  as  he  was  putting  his  cartridge 
belt  about  him,  and  to  her  inquiry  as  to  where  he 
was  bound,  he  replied  that  he  was  going  out  toward 
Seabeck,  on  toward  Lone  Rock,  and  might  go  across 
to  Silverdale  and  beyond,  but  would  be  back  by  bed- 
time. Mrs.  Wayland  thought  nothing  of  this,  as  it 
was  his  habit  to  occasionally  take  a  stroll  along 
toward  night,  and  asked:  "Which  way  are  you  com- 
ing back,  Rex?" 

"I'll  come  right  up  along  shore  from  Lone  Rock, 
mother." 

"All  right;  don't  be  too  late  and  maybe  I'll  come 
out  and  meet  you." 

"Well,  if  you  do,  come  right  down  to  the  rock,  but 
don't  come  over  into  the  woods.  I'll  try  and  get 
back  to  the  rock  a  little  before  dusk,  but  if  I'm 
not  there  before,  don't  wait.  Go  to  Sergius'  cabin. 
I'll  call  there  for  you  on  my  way  bagk,     Good-by. " 

155 


T56        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Rex  saw  nothing  worth  a  shot  on  his  way  across, 
and  at  six  o'clock  was  hidden  in  the  bushes  fringing 
the  shore  back  of  Agate  Passage.  No  one  was  in 
sight.  The  Siwash  of  the  reservation  were  probably 
back  upon  the  hill  picking  berries.  He  could  hear 
their  voices.  There  was  no  need  to  wait  until  after 
dark.  He  would  slip  down  and  dig  up  the  box.  If 
any  one  came  he  could  easily  fill  in  the  cache  and 
smooth  it  over  before  they  reached  him.  As  his 
fingers  touched  the  box,  he  lifted  and  shook  it.  The 
book  was  inside,  and  with  hands  a  trifle  tremulous 
and  heart  beating  a  bit  fast,  he  pulled  the  box 
apart,  took  out  the  precious  book,  deposited  it  in  his 
pocket,  and  replacing  the  box,  started  up  the  beach 
toward  a  branch  leading  to  the  main  trail.  Alone, 
he  sat  down  and  took  a  look  at  his  treasure,  becoming 
so  much  interested  he  was  unaware  of  the  approach 
of  night  until  he  began  to  experience  difficulty  in 
tracing  the  letters.  Then  he  picked  up  his  rifle  and 
started  on  a  trot  toward  home. 

As  he  ascended  the  divide,  the  light  grew 
stronger,  and  with  Hying  leaps  he  made  rapid  time 
down  toward  the  canal  beach.  However,  it  was 
nightfall  before  he  came  to  the  first  opening  where 
he  could  see  the  water,  shining  up  with  that  dull 
after-sunset  glow  through  the  tree-tops.  He  was 
walking  now  across  a  flat,  and  suddenly  he  smelled 
fresh  blood  and  the  odor  of  the  viscera  of  some 
animal.  Stopping,  he  found  himself  standing  within 
four  feet  of  the  remains  of  a  fawn.  The  blood  was 
yet  warm,  and  so  were  the  scant  remains.  This 
tragedy  of  the  woods  had  occurred  since  he  passed 


— •* 


REX  SAVES  HIS  MOTHER  FROM  A  COUGAR. 
157 


158        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

that  way — probably  a  half-hour  or  less  before.  This 
looked  like  cougar  work,  and  in  all  probability  he 
had  scared  them  from  their  repast.  Yes;  it  was 
cougar,  and  that  there  were  two  or  three  of  them  he 
was  quite  sure,  for  there  in  the  swale,  running  right 
across  the  trail  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  beyond,  he 
found  three  tracks.  One  was  very  large.  The 
others  smaller.  All  were  of  good  size,  however,  and 
he  conjectured  that  either  an  old  cat  with  two  kittens 
or  a  male  with  two  female  followers  was  lurking 
about.  "Looks  more  like  a  torn  and  two  tabbies  by 
the  size  of  the  tracks,"  he  muttered  as  he  pumped  a 
cartridge  into  the  barrel  of  his  40-82  Winchester  and 
pushed  two  or  three  more  into  the  magazine.  He 
now  stepped  slowly  along,  looking  to  the  right  and 
left  with  a  creepy  feeling,  hardly  knowing  from 
which  quarter  to  expect  to  see  a  monster  cat  flying 
at  him  through  the  air.  It  was  about  five  hundred 
yards  to  the  beach,  and  as  he  finally  emerged  from 
the  deeper  shadow  of  the  big  woods,  he  felt  relieved. 
He  was  no  coward,  but  no  man,  no  matter  how 
brave,  ever  feels  easy  in  the  vicinity  of  these  terrible 
animals.  He  was  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the 
beach  now  and  rapidly  nearing  it,  when  through  and 
across  the  low  brush  he  saw  a  sight  that  made  him 
more  creepy  than  ever.  The  after-glow  rendered 
objects  between  the  water  and  the  low  bluff  quite 
clear.  In  fact,  his  mother's  head  and  shoulders  from 
where  she  sat  on  a  drift  log  near  the  beach  stood 
out  in  a  distinct  silhouette.  The  distinctness  of  the 
dearly  loved  object  was  so  startling  that  he  paused 
for  an  instant  and  gazed  steadily.     At  this  instant 


REX  SECURES  THE  DIARY  159 

she  turned  her  head  slightly  and  the  delicate  profile 
stood  out,  even  at  that  distance  of  two  hundred 
yards,  as  clearly  as  the  reeds  and  twigs  down  nearer 
the  water.  "I  can  see  her  so  plainly  from  here,  and 
yet  she  cannot  see  me  at  all,"  thought  he.  "I  will 
call  to  her  to  sit  still,  and  look  this  way,  while  I 
wave  my  arms  and  see  if  I  can  make  any  motion  she 
can  distinguish. ' '  He  had  opened  his  mouth,  drawn 
in  his  breath,  and  all  but  given  utterance,  when  his 
quick  eye  distinguished  a  movement  farther  up 
along  the  huge  tree  trunk  toward  its  top  and  at  her 
back;  a  second  later  his  heart  stopped  beating  and 
he  became  sick  with  horror.  The  head  of  a  huge  cat 
was  rising  slowly  from  the  gnarled,  dry  limbs  of 
the  drift.  As  he  looked,  the  shoulders  rose  in  sight 
and  then  the  huge  body,  the  tail  of  which  stood 
straight  out  behind,  large  as  a  man's  arm  and  at 
least  three  feet  long.  Farther  back  among  the  dry 
branches  and  also  over  in  the  reeds,  he  detected  other 
movements,  and  knew  that  all  three  cats  were  slowly 
crawling  up  on  their  intended  victim.  Sickening 
horror  had  for  a  moment  disabled  him,  but  a  peculiar 
motion  of  the  great  cat  now  brought  him  to  his  senses 
and  he  felt  every  nerve  grow  rigid.  The  cougar  had 
begun  that  up  and  down  motion,  that  gathering  pre- 
liminary to  a  spring,  that  quivering  of  tense  muscles, 
that  setting  of  great  claws  into  the  wood  that  the 
intended  leap  might  be  true  to  its  mark.  The  animal 
had  already  crouched ;  the  great  tail,  at  first  slowly 
waving  from  side  to  side,  had  become  rigid  and  still, 
when  Rex  found  himself  looking  along  his  gun 
barrel,  the   sights  fine  and  exactly  on  the  base  of 


160        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

that  pointed  ear.  It  seemed  as  if  his  finger  pressed 
the  trigger  without  an  effort  on  his  part,  and  appar- 
ently before  the  gun  cracked  the  great  cat  rose  in 
the  air  six  or  eight  feet,  and  with  a  horrid  yawl 
tumbled  in  a  writhing  heap  on  the  gravel  half-way 
toward  the  woman  sitting  there  entirely  unconscious 
of  her  danger.  With  a  yell  sufficient  to  frighten  all 
the  cats  in  Washington,  Rex  now  bounded  down  the 
bluff  toward  the  tree-top,  pumping  out  his  shell  as 
he  went  and  shouting:  "Sit  still,  mother!  Don't 
move!  It's  Rex!  I've  killed  the  old  torn!  The 
tabbies  are  in  the  brush!"  But  he  had  no  need  to 
fear.  The  crack  of  the  rifle,  that  yawl,  his  yell  and 
his  flying  footfalls,  had  scared  the  beasts  half  out  of 
their  wits.  One,  with  a  snarl,  leaped  far  out  into 
the  water,  not  taking  time  to  turn,  and  was  now 
floundering  along  in  the  drift-wood  toward  the 
shadow  of  the  forest.  The  other,  equally  wild 
with  terror,  was  tearing  through  the  brush  like  a 
wounded  bear.  The  big  torn,  with  an  occasional 
convulsive  kick,  lay  close  to  the  edge  of  the  water, 
all  four  feet  in  the  air,  a  40-82  bullet  clean  through 
both  ear-drums.  With  cocked  gun  Rex  leaped 
over  the  log,  ran  up  to  the  cat,  kicked  it  in  the 
ribs  as  it  lay,  backed  off,  shot  into  its  body,  and  when 
there  was  no  movement,  dropped  his  gun  and  run- 
ning to  his  mother  picked  her  clean  off  her  feet,  all 
the  time  crying  and  trembling  like  a  hysterical 
woman. 

"There!  There!  Rex.  Set  me  down!  I'm  not 
hurt,  nor  very  badly  scared.  Don't  you  see?  I 
hadn't  time  to  know  what  happened.     You've  killed 


REX  SECURES  THE  DIARY  161 

the  animal.  Be  quiet,  now!  Do!  Don't  hug  me 
so!  You'll  smash  all  my  corset  stays.  Why,  Rex! 
What  does  ail  you?" 

Half-laughing-, half-crying,  Rex  finally  knelt  beside 
her,  buried  his  face  in  her  dress  and  sobbed  like  a 
scared  child.  The  strain  had  been  terrible,  and  now 
that  he  knew  she  was  safe  he  was  no  longer  a  man 
of  nerve  but  a  crying  weakling.  Mrs.  Wayland 
understood. 

"That's  all  right,  my  son.  Cry  if  you  feel  like  it. 
You're  a  brave  man  just  the  same.  You  saved 
mother's  life — that  you  did.  There  are  not  many 
boys  who  could  have  acted  so  promptly  nor  have  been 
half  as  brave.  Mother's  proud  of  you.  I'm  sure 
Uncle  Festus  will  be  too.  There  now!  none  of  that! 
no  more  bear  hugs — Rex!  you  don't  realize  how- 
strong  you  are."  Here  the  little  lady,  her  feathers 
sadly  ruffled,  pushed  him  at  arm's  length  again  and 
stood  laughing  while  he  composed  himself.  She  was 
cool  as  a  cucumber,  and  her  manner  prevented 
Rex  making  a  further  exhibition  of  himself.  Ad- 
vancing to  the  cat  and  striking  a  match,  Rex  bent 
over  and  held  the  flame  close  to  the  great  mouth,  the 
lips  of  which  were  drawn  back  from  the  tearing 
fangs.  The  yellow  eyes  gleamed  glassily  enough, 
but  no  longer  emitted  sparks  as  they  had  done  before 
he  shot.  He  touched  one  of  the  great  forearms, 
heavier  than  his  own,  and  noted  the  convulsive  con- 
traction of  the  spread  claws  with  which  that  formida- 
ble paw  was  armed.  This  was  the  last  motion  the 
cat  ever  made.  It  lay  limp  as  a  rag,  the  last  of  the 
reputed  nine  lives  having  apparently  left  it. 


162        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

"Had  I  been  fifteen  seconds  later,  that  great  paw 
would  have  broken  your  head  all  in,  mother." 

Mrs.  Way  land  shuddered.  "I  know  it,  Rex,  and 
I  shall  be  careful  how  I  venture  out  far  from  camp 
again,  especially  at  nightfall.  Come;  let  us  go  home 
now,  and  let  the  men  come  after  this  carcass  with  a 
boat.      I  suppose  you  want  the  hide  as  a  trophy. ' ' 

"That  I  do,  mother.  I  propose  to  have  a  rug  out 
of  it.  Come  on — or,  wait!  I'll  build  a  small  fire 
here  and  the  men  can  then  more  easily  find  the 
game."  This  he  did,  and  then  walking  his  mother 
ahead  while  he  nervously  followed  with  cocked  rifle, 
this  unstrung  young  cougar-killer  made  his  way 
toward  camp,  which  they  reached  about  9:30.  Their 
story  created  something  of  a  stir,  and  four  sturdy 
oarsmen  with  Uncle  Festus  at  the  tiller  made  a  quick 
trip  for  the  game. 

"I  tell  ye,  he's  a  booster!"  remarked  Uncle  Festus, 
as  two  of  the  men  came  lugging  the  cat  on  a  pale 
across  the  plank  to  the  steps  where  the  crowd  waited. 

"Biggest  durn  cat  I  ever  see!"  exclaimed  Big 
Hank  the  faller,  who  could  tell  larger  and  more 
thrilling  hunting  stories  than  any  man  along  the 
entire  canal. 

"He  must  be  a  sockdolager  if  Hank  admits  that, 
said  the  rival  faller,  and  as  the  cat  came  into  view — 
"By  jeminy  crikits,  he  is!     Say,  that  feller  is  all  of 
ten  foot!" 

On  reaching  camp,  Uncle  Festus  put  the  scales  at 
two  hundred  and  five  pounds  at  a  guess  and  glanced 
over  his  spectacles  with  surprise  as  the  balance  came 
up  smartly  against  the  brass  cross-piece.     ' '  Ain  't  any 


REX  SECURES  THE  DIARY  163 

o'  you  fellers  sneakin'  a  foot  on  that  there  platform, 
be  ye?"  he  asked,  glancing  'round  at  the  numerous 
feet  and  legs  that  crowded  near. 

"No;  everything's  clear,"  was  the  cry. 

"Everything  but  that  there  whollopin'  great  tail 
on  the  floor.  There!  I'll  tuck  it  inter  the  cord 
atween  the  feet.  Now!  everybody  stand  back." 
Here  Uncle  Festus  began  sliding  the  brass  marker 
along.  It  went  out  to  40,  but  stayed  up.  To  45 
and  still  up,  but  trembled  at  47.  At  48^  it  went 
slowly  down. 

"A  plump  two  hundred  and  forty-eight!"  called 
out  Uncle  Festus.  "By  the  Great  Horn  Spoons! 
But  he's  a  booster.  Yes,  siree!  Ain't  fat,  nuther. 
Seems  to  be  stocky  an'  heavy-built  like.  There's 
where  he  gits  his  weight.  Now  let's  see  what  he 
measures.  Stan'  clear,  everybody  there!  Now, 
boys!  Stretch  him  out  on  his  back — so  fashion! 
Hold  down  the  snout  to  the  floor  thar,  Jim.  Don't 
be  'fraid.  He  can't  bite  ye.  Now,  Will,  jest  you 
take  hold  o'  that  tail  an'  pull  the  kinks  out,  while  I 
cut  these  cords  about  his  feet  so  he  won't  lay 
humped.  Thar  ye  air!  Now,  hev  ye  got  that  tail 
out  full  length?  Don't  pull  the  critter  in  two. 
Now,  I'll  mark  on  the  floor  here  at  the  nose  an'  you 
mark  at  the  tip  o'  the  tail.  There  ye  air!  Now, 
roll  him  one  side  while  I  measure.  Ten  feet, 
seven  an'  three-quarter  inches.  No!  Hold  on. 
I'm  wrong.  It's  ten  foot  nine  an'  three-quarter 
inches.  Say,  boys!  Thar's  the  biggest  cat  ever 
killed  'long  this  canal.  It's  heavier  an'  longer. 
The  hide's  purty  good,  too.      I'll  skin  it  myself  an' 


164        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

take  out  the  skull  fer  mountin',  teeth  an'  all.  I'll 
bury  the  skull  out  here  in  an  ant  hill  a  piece,  an'  the 
skin — I  don't  believe  I  dare  try  fixin'  that.  I  jest 
think  I'll  stretch  it  on  a  frame  an'  take  it  to  a  taxy- 
darmist.  Boy,  that  rug,  when  ye  git  it  made,  '11  sell 
fer  $150,  an'  'tain't  goin'  ter  cost  ye  more'n  ten  ter 
git  it  made." 

"No  man  can  buy  it  for  $250.  I  want  it  for 
mother's  best  room." 

1 '  Wall,  she '  11  need  a  purty  big  room  to  spread  that. ' ' 

It  was  now  late  bed-time,  and  the  women  retired 
while  Uncle  Festus  and  a  helper  began  skinning  the 
cat.  They  did  this  very  neatly,  leaving  on  claws. 
tail  and  head  skin,  with  nostrils  and  both  upper  and 
lower  lips.  The  skull  would  be  stripped  of  its  scant 
meat  by  ants  in  a  short  time,  burrowing  into  places 
no  knife  could  reach.  After  the  skinning  all  went 
to  bed,  and  Rex  had  just  dropped  into  his  first  sleep 
when  there  came  a  rap  at  his  door.  He  opened  it 
and  beheld  Uncle  Festus  standing  there  in  his  over- 
alls and  flannel  night  shirt,  his  whiskers  and  hair 
all  awry. 

"Say,  boyee!  I  f ergot  to  ask  about  the  book. 
Did  ye  git  it?" 

"Yes,  uncle.  It's  in  the  safe.  Put  it  there  when 
I  first  came." 

"Oh,  ye  did!  Well,  the  country's  safe  then,  an'  I 
guess  I'll  lay  my  bones  away  agin."  The  old  man 
presented  a  comical  sight  as  he  tiptoed  back,  his 
suspenders  hanging,  and  the  flame  of  the  tallow 
candle  he  always  persisted  in  using,  in  dangerous 
proximity  to  his  bushy  beardo 


CHAPTER   XXI 

STUDYING    SPANISH    AND    THE    OLYMPICS 

Rex  now  renewed  with  great  energy  the  study  of 
Spanish,  which  he  had  practically  abandoned  some 
months  before.  His  duties  about  the  camp  being 
comparatively  light,  he  found  many  hours  to  devote 
to  this  side  line.  His  knowledge  of  Latin  helped 
him,  and  he  made  fair  progress,  even  without  a 
master.  Finally  he  made  an  arrangement  whereby 
he  and  a  certain  Spanish  gentleman  at  Port  Town- 
send  exchanged  two  letters  in  Spanish  each  week, 
and  soon  felt  that  he  was  really  progressing.  He 
had  never  opened  the  diary  since  the  day  he  put  it 
in  the  safe,  but  that  it  contained  reference  to  a 
treasure  hidden  somewhere  in  the  Olympic  Moun- 
tains he  had  not  a  doubt.  It  seemed  very  strange 
that  these  mountains  had  never  been  more  fully 
explored.  He  often  sat  of  a  summer  evening  and 
gazed  at  the  snowy  peaks,  so  near  and  yet  so  far. 
He  found  that  few  people  on  the  coast  had  ever 
ventured  more  than  ten  or  twelve  miles  into  these 
mountains,  and  a  still  smaller  number  twenty  miles, 
while  no  one  that  he  had  ever  met  had  explored  them 
to  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  He  often  talked  of  this 
to  the  various  hunters  and  fishermen  who  came  along, 
but  all  of  these  hardy  men  shook  their  heads  and 
remarked:  "Go  back  a  ways  yerself,  Mr.  Wayland, 
an'    you'll    see    why."     One    old   prospector   came 

165 


1 66  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

along  the  canal  one  day,  following  the  beach  in 
hope  of  finding  "float"  and  a  "strike"  at  the  mouth 
of  some  stream  or  run. 

"Ever  been  over  into  those  mountains?"  inquired 
Rex,  pointing  to  the  rugged  ridges  some  twenty 
miles  away.  The  old  man  pulled  his  battered  hat 
from  his  grizzled  head,  threw  one  foot  upon  a  piece 
of  drift  along  shore,  and  leaning  across  the  knee 
thus  raised,  looked  for  a  full  minute  at  Turner's 
Mountain,  which  rises  up  3,800  feet  directly  from 
the  waters  of  Taraboo  Bay,  twelve  miles  across  from 
where  they  stood. 

"Yaas;  I  hev,  as  ye  might  say,  an'  then  agin,  I 
hain't.  I  ben  in  some  twenty  mile.  Went  up  the 
Ducquebush.  I  was  five  days,  me  an'  the  kyuses 
was,  a-gittin'  up  some  twenty  mile,  an'  havin'  had 
enough,  I  kirn  back.  I  got  ontew  one  ridge — that 
hogback  o'  snow,  'bout  five  mile  back  o'  that  second 
landslide  ye  see  up  there  on  the  right,  an'  from 
there  I  see  nothin'  but  mountains  an'  ridges  an' 
perspices  an'  peaks,  any  one  on  'em  onpassable  to 
man.  Then  I  kim  back.  I've  prospected  in  the 
Cascades,  in  the  coast  range  further  south,  an'  in 
all  the  mountains  south  clear  to  the  issmuss.  I've 
ben  acrost  the  Andees  four  times  an'  took  a  whack 
at  the  wust  land  they  is  in  New  Zealand  and 
Australy,  but  there  ain't  nothin'  else  nowhar  on  the 
face  o'  the  globe  kin  compare  to  them  Olympics  fer 
roughness.  D'ye  see  them  two  landslides  up  the 
right  slope  o'  the  Ducquebush  over  yander?  They 
don't  look  over  five  mile  away,  though  in  reelty 
they're  near  twenty,  bein'   some  ten  or  eleven  mile 


AN  OLD  PROSPECTOR  TELLS  REX  ABOUT  THE  OLYMPICS 
167 


168        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

back  from  t'other  coast.  Wall!  Them's  jest  an' 
inklin'  o'  the  hull  darn  clump.  You  kin  stan'  on  the 
ridge  over  thar — the  hogback  with  snow  on  it,  I 
mean — an'  from  there  ye  kin  count  twenty  sich 
slides,  an'  if  it's  a  warm  day  in  spring,  perhaps  ye 
kin  see  one  or  two  start  while  ye  wait.  I  saw  one. 
I  tell  ye  I  don't  wonder  Si  wash  think  stick- Injuns 
ha'nt  the  interior.  Them  an'  eagles  er  about  the 
only  things  kin." 

"But  I  understand  there  are  elk  and  bear  and 
cougar  over  there.  They  must  find  something  to 
live  on.  Both  bear  and  elk  eat  grass,  you  know. 
Besides,  I  have  heard  it  reported  that  there  are 
grassy  plains  over  in  the  interior." 

"Yaas!  So  there  be!  So  there  be!  I've  ben 
roun'  up  by  Lake  Cushman,  an'  by  climbin'  peaks 
over  to  the  north  o'  the  Quilayute  region,  hev  seen 
'cm  lay  in'  off  to  the  north  and  west,  sleepin'  in  the 
sunshine  thirty  mile  or  more  away.  Green  grass 
valleys  they  be,  an'  without  a  tree.  With  my  big 
glass  I've  seen  big  bands  of  elk  on  'em,  but  between 
me  an'  them  stretched  along  a  ledge  2,500  foot  plum 
down,  an'  as  I  hadn't  no  time  to  hunt  along  fer 
miles  over  that  broken  hogback  fer  a  place  ter  slide 
down,  with  poor  chances  fer  gittin'  back,  I  jest 
looked  an'  kim  away.  We  read  about  press  clubs 
goin'  acrost  ter  the  Pacific — it's  only  a  hundred  mile, 
they  say — an'  we  read  letters  some  eastern  feller 
writes  about  the  interior  as  he  see  it.  The  gov'ment 
sent  a  band  o'  sogers  'cross,  but  you  hear  me — they 
went  'cross  to  the  south  or  north  an'  not  whar  the 
main  cluster  is.      Ef  you  don't  believe  me,  you  go 


STUDYING  SPANISH  AND  THE  OLYMPICS    169 

over  an'  ask  Pierre  Peroux.  He's  a  climber  if  ever 
there  was  one,  an'  he's  lived  over  across  here  ten 
year.  He  gits  where  any  man  kin,  an'  he  don't  git 
back  more'n  twenty  or  thirty  mile,  takin'  a  week 
er  more  fer  it  at  that." 

"Who  is  this  Pierre  Peroux?" 

/'Oh,  he's  a  young  German  or  Frenchman  what 
lives  over  on  the  Ducquebush  'bout  four  or  five  mile 
up.  Nice  a  feller  as  ever  ye  see.  Has  a  cabin  up 
thar  an'  a  little  ranch.  Nice  feller  Pierre  is,  an'  a 
great  hunter,  too.  Go  over'n  git  him  to  take  ye 
out.  'Twon't  cost  ye  nothin'.  He'll  feed  ye,  too, 
fer  nothin',  'less  ye  make  him  take  suthin'  fer  it. 
Biggest  hearted  critter  ye  ever  see.  Some  one 
livin'  off  him  all  the  time.  But  I  must  be  goin'. 
Good-day ! ' ' 

Full  of  what  he  had  heard,  Rex  thereafter  talked 
of  the  mountains  with  every  one  and  found  the  old 
prospector  had  not  exaggerated.  He  also  inquired 
about  Peroux  and  found  that  he  was  well  known  all 
along  the  canal  as  an  intelligent,  well  read  young 
Alsatian,  who,  by  reason  of  his  descent  from  some 
mountain-loving  Swiss,  German  or  Frenchman, 
preferred  to  "bach"  it  in  his  lonely  cabin  far  up 
the  narrow  Ducquebush  valley  to  living  out  of  the 
mountains  in  some  more  civilized  portion  of  the 
state.  One  day  Rex  had  business  at  a  lumber  camp 
some  three  miles  up  the  Ducquebush,  and  after  it 
was  concluded,  made  his  way  up  the  trail  to  Peroux 's 
cabin.  Here  he  found  the  mountain-climber,  and 
made  his  acquaintance.  He  was  charmed  from  the 
first    by    this     tall,    blue-eyed,     fair-haired    young 


170        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

hermit,  who  in  his  soft  voice  and  matter-of-fact  way 
told  of  an  every-day  life  that  is  a  romance.  Rex 
was  invited  to  come  up  in  December,  or  earlier  if  he 
chose,  and  was  promised  an  elk  hunt  above  the 
clouds.  What  wonder  is  it  that  Peroux's  beans  and 
bread  tasted  sweeter  than  honey  and  that  Rex  went 
back  across  the  canal  the  happiest  lad  in  the  state? 

Uncle  Festus  listened  with  great  interest,  and 
readily  promised  to  make  one  of  the  party.  "Old  as 
I  am,"  he  declared,  "I  kin  climb  round  fer  a  day  or 
two  with  youngsters,  and  as  fer  campin' — ef  your 
man  Peroux  knows  more  'bout  it  than  yer  uncle, 
he's  a  good  one.  But,  Rex,  now't  we're  here  all 
alone,  I  move  that  ye  tell  yer  mother  all  about  the 
cause  fer  yer  interest  in  them  hills.  I  hev  ben  the 
one,  Mrs.  Wayland,  that  has  made  yer  boy  keep  a 
secret  from  ye.  I  dunno's  I  done  right,  but  I  had 
my  reasons,  an'  now  I've  changed  my  mind  an' 
want  ye  to  know  all  about  it." 

"What  is  it?  A  secret,  Mr.  Estus>  You  know 
women  are  not  good  at  keeping  secrets." 

"I  know  one  'at  is,  Mrs.  Wayland.  Rex,  git  the 
book. ' ' 

Rex  gladly  obeyed,  for,  like  any  other  mother's 
boy,  he  disliked  a  secret  she  could  not  share.  All 
this  mystery  had  for  this  very  reason  held  for  him 
one  serious  drawback.  He  now  brought  out  the 
book  and  they  had  a  long  talk  over  it.  It  was 
agreed  that  his  knowledge  of  Spanish  was  now 
sufficient  for  him  to  attempt  a  translation,  and  that 
he  should  hereafter  devote  his  leisure  to  the  task 
until  it  was  accomplished. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

DIARY  OF   ANDRES  TENORIO SOME    NEW    LIGHT  ON 

SPANISH    AND  INDIAN   HISTORY 

It  was  late  in  December  when,  one  evening,  Rex 
read  to  Uncle  Festus  and  Mrs.  Wayland  his  transla- 
tion. The  title-page  of  the  strange  book  conveyed 
the  information  that  the  volume  was  an  autobiog- 
raphy of  one  Andres  Tenorio,  born  in  1749  and 
departing  this  life  in  1793.  On  another  page  began 
the  biography,  although  it  was  prefaced  by  a  few 
explanatory  remarks.  Rex  was  as  true  to  the  text  as 
any  translator  of  like  experience  could  have  been,  and 
his  rendering  was  probably  very  nearly  correct. 
Here  is  what  he  read : 

Straits  of  Anian      ) 

or  >  August,  1790. 

Northwest  Passage.  ) 

I,  Andres  Tenorio,  being  at 
this  time,  as  I  have  been  for  the  past  eighteen  years, 
a  captive  of  the  Duwamish  Indians,  have  this  day 
commenced  a  journal,  diary  or  autobiography,  which 
shall  some  day,  I  hope  and  pray,  give  to  the  world 
my  sad  history,  even  if  I  am  never  permitted  to 
speak  with  a  civilized  people  again.  I  see  such 
people  now  occasionally,  as  this  narrative  will  show, 
but  they  are  never  permitted  to  see  me,  nor  am  I 
ever  permitted  to  hear  their  voices,  a  sound  I  long 

171 


172  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

for  more  fervently  than  can  be  imagined.     My  life 
history  is  as  follows: 

I  was  born  at  Seville,  Spain,  in  the  year  of  the 
nativity  of  Christ,  1749,  month  of  March.  My  father 
was  a  small  but  prosperous  land-owner,  living  with- 
out the  walls,  and  he  was  not  only  able,  but  willing 
to  educate  me  and  make  me  a  useful  member  of 
society.  My  ambitions  during  the  first  fifteen  years 
of  my  life  did  not  reach  beyond  my  immediate  sur- 
roundings, and  I  labored  diligently  at  my  youthful 
tasks,  making  fair  progress  at  school  and  in  all  ways 
delighting  my  parents  and  teachers.  Ah  me!  If 
they  be  living  yet,  I  wonder  if  they  do  not  love  to 
think,  as  I  do  now,  of  the  dutiful  lad,  who  was  not 
only  the  pride  but  the  pet  of  all  the  circle.  Would 
that  my  lines  could  have  been  ever  thus  cast!  But  it 
was  not  to  be.  Some  saint  whom  I  should  have 
propitiated,  by  gifts,  prayers,  or  sacrifices,  but  did 
not,  was  offended  and  the  evil  course  of  my  life 
began.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  I  was  apprenticed  to  a 
scrivener  and  book-maker  of  my  native  city,  and  here 
I  first  became  fascinated  with  what  to  me  proved 
pernicious  literature.  In  our  shop  were  not 
only  printed  books  for  binding,  but  also  manuscripts 
to  be  bound  in  volumes  or  tomes,  for  use  and  pres- 
ervation. I  was  not  only  quick  at  my  work  of 
stitching,  to  which  I  had  been  advanced,  but  also 
quick  at  reading,  either  writing  or  print  proof,  and 
thus  it  came  about  that  I  found  time  to  read  as  I  put 
my  bodkin  through.  In  this  manner  I  made  myself 
conversant  with  the  geographical  discoveries  of  the 
day.      The    exploits   of    Pizarro,    Cortez   and   their 


READ  ING  THE  DIARY  OF  THE  SPANISH  CAPTIVE. 
173 


174        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

fellows,  were  not  generally  known  to  the  common 
people,  save  by  hearsay,  for  books  were  scarce ;  so 
that  I,  being  thus  permitted  a  perusal  of  certain  rare 
works,  was  accorded  a  privilege  that  should  have 
been  a  benefit,  where  it  proved,  alas,  a  bane.  At 
seventeen  I  had  so  far  progressed  as  to  myself  act  as 
scrivener,  and  before  me  for  days  sat  the  bold 
voyageurs  of  the  period,  dictating  to  me  such  of  their 
exploits  and  discoveries  as  they  wished  the  world 
to  know.  Oftentimes  we  fell  into  conversation,  and 
urged  on  by  my  animated  face  and  eager  eyes,  they 
told  me  stories  of  rapine  and  revel,  such  as  they 
dared  not  dictate  to  scrivener  or  printer  for  pres- 
ervation. I  had  a  knack  of  dressing  up  a  tale, 
of  embellishing  it,  as  it  were,  and  by  exercising  this 
talent  I  won  their  favor  for  myself  and  my  master. 
No  one  dreamed,  much  less  my  parents,  that  these 
tales  of  the  Caribbees,  Mexico,  the  island  of  Cali- 
fornia and  other  half-explored  and  hardly  discovered 
portions  of  the  New  World,  were  giving  me  a  passion 
for  voyages  to  that  far  country ;  yet  such  was  the 
case,  and  I  was  but  nineteen  years  of  age  when  I 
departed  with  one  of  my  friends  for  the  great 
unknown  west.  This  man,  Don  Carlos  Perez,  was  a 
distant  relative  of  the  great  Juan  Perez  and  it  is  to 
him  that  I  ascribe  most  of  the  pernicious  influences 
that  have  wrecked  my  life.  He  was  an  older  man 
than  his  cousin  Juan,  and  before  we  reached  the 
shores  of  the  new  world  I  found  him  to  be  secretly  a 
pirate,  or  at  least  one  who  never  allowed  any  scruple 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  his  money-getting.  He  was, 
withal,    a   merry   soul,    fond   of    the    bowl    and    a 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  175 

roysterer,  'ever  good-natured  except  when  out  of 
money;  then  he  was  moody  and  murderous.  His 
bravery  and  seamanship  were  unquestionably 
remarkable,  and  I  believe  that  had  he  been  less  of  a 
high  liver  and  of  greater  moral  strength,  he  might 
have  been  one  of  Spain's  greatest  discoverers. 

I  crossed  the  Mexican  mountains  in  company  with 
this  man,  and  on  my  twenty-first  birthday  saw  the 
Pacific  for  the  first  time.  He  and  I  were  then 
almost  penniless,  and  when  at  nightfall  we  sought 
a  coast  settlement  for  shelter  we  could  not  have  paid 
the  price  had  one  been  asked.  But  none  was  asked. 
We  were  fed  and  bedded  by  a  good  priest,  the 
Father  Francis,  and  the  fair  hands  of  his  niece 
Isabella  made  clean  our  soiled  garments  while  we 
slept.  No  one  knew  of  our  penniless  condition,  for 
why  should  they?  We  had  no  need  of  money  where 
such  hospitality  could  be  found,  and  I  listened  with 
no  little  amusement  to  the  grand  tales  Perez  told 
the  simple  folk  about  us.  He  was,  he  claimed, 
about  to  organize  an  expedition,  to  search  out  the 
Northwest  Passage,  which. both  Spanish  and  English 
have  so  long  wished  to  find — the  Spanish  that  they 
may  check  English  accession  in  North  America,  by 
claims  along  the  northwest  coast  as  far  eastward 
in  the  direction  of  Hudson's  Bay  and  Newfoundland 
as  possible,  the  English  that  they  may  sail  across, 
take  up  the  north  coast  of  this  passage  and  thus 
check  French  or  Spanish  accession  in  northern 
North  America. 

What  Perez  expected  to  gain  by  the  lies  he  told,  I 
did  not  at  first  understand,   nor    do    I  to  this  day 


176        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

clearly  know,  but  I  was  so  hardened  by  association 
with  him,  that  I  was  content  to  be  looked  upon  as 
his  secretary  or  private  scrivener,  while  he  posed  as 
a  grand  master  of  men  and  a  prince  of  discovery. 
Soon  I  made  a  discovery  of  my  own,  which,  had  I 
been  a  man  of  honor,  I  should  have  put  to  good  use, 
but  being  myself  hardened,  I  recked  not,  and  stood 
quietly  by  and  saw  a  wrong  done.  The  young  and 
trusting  Isabella  was  heir  to  a  treasure,  which  her 
uncle,  the  good  priest,  had  kept  for  her,  to  be  given 
her  as  a  dowry  when  in  time  some  worthy  man 
came  to  claim  her  hand.  This  dowry,  which  was  in 
gold  bars  and  silver  coin,  was  kept  by  the  good 
priest  in  three  brass  chests.  Perez  learned  of  this 
through  a  servant  and  he  determined  to  gain  pos- 
session of  the  girl  and  treasure  by  fair  means  or 
foul,  then  purchase  the  snug  "Pinta"  which  lay  at 
her  moorings  in  the  harbor  of  the  small  town.  The 
priest,  however,  had  more  recently  conceived  a 
distrust  of  him  and,  from  the  threats  Perez  made  to 
me,  I  Was  convinced  he  meant  to  remove  him  before 
he  risked  an  open  or  formal  request  for  the  girl. 
This  I  was  certain  of,  yet  I  was  wicked  enough  to 
stand  by  and  see  him  plot  and  plan.  Finally,  he 
accomplished  his  purpose.  Poison  did  its  work  with- 
out warning,  and  the  assumed  grief  of  Perez  was  as 
good  a  piece  of  trickery  as  ever  I  saw.  Such  was 
his  influence  over  the  girl,  that  within  a  few  weeks 
he  had  secured  her  and  her  treasure,  purchased  the 
"Pinta, "  and  shipping  a  crew  of  six  men,  had  set 
sail  up  the  coast  into  that  unknown  sea. 

It  was  not  until  we  were  five  weeks  out  that  Perez 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  i?7 

in  his  caps  betrayed  himself,  and  when,  stung  to 
madness  by  the  knowledge  thus  forced  upon  her, 
Isabella  turned  on  him  like  a  tigress,  he  beat  her. 
From  the  hate  that  then  shot  forth  from  those  erst- 
while soft  eyes,  I  knew  he  would  rue  the  day,  that 
she  was  now  a  demon  and  would  have  revenge. 
That  night  a  terrible  storm  arose,  and  the  winds 
from  the  west  drove  us  straight  toward  a  rocky, 
mountainous  shore.  All  that  night  we  flew  before 
the  blast,  and  as  the  morning  light  broke  about  us 
found  land  on  either  side,  while  mountains  appeared 
to  rise  up  out  of  the  tossing  water.  To  the  north 
was  a  high,  snow-capped  peak.  To  the  south 
another,  and  further  south  yet  another,  vaster  than 
all  its  fellows.  I  little  dreamed  then  that  I  was 
soon  to  settle  down  to  slavery  within  a  few  miles  of 
that  mountain,  there  to  remain  for  twenty  years, 
and  perhaps  all  my  after-life.  All  that  day  we 
sailed  due  east  or  near  it,  and  as  the  strait  or 
channel  seemed  to  trend  to  the  north,  Perez  grew 
hilarious.  He  was  sure  we  had  been  blown  into  the 
Northwest  Passage,  and  swore  we  should  explore  it. 
We  would  make  maps,  take  possession  of  the  coun- 
try in  the  name  of  England,  for  Perez  had  no 
patriotic  pride  and  wanted  the  20,000  pounds  Eng- 
land offered.  For  years  the  best  navigators  had 
endeavored  in  vain  to  rediscover  the  mysterious 
straits  of  Anian,  which  Juan  de  Fuca  had  written 
of,  but  all  had  failed  and  now  we  had  stumbled  upon 
them.  Out  from  his  cabinet  of  charts  and  maps 
came  an  old  one  of  the  supposed  straits,  and  long 
did  Perez  and  I  study  it.      Isabella,  his  wife,  showed 


176        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

no  enthusiasm,  but  sat  mutely  by,  a  picture  of  such 
sullen  fury  as  I  had  never  seen  even  among  the 
hot-tempered  women  of  our  country. 

At  nightfall  we  came  to  a  turning  of  the  ways. 
We  went  to  the  north  and  then  to  the  east.  On  all 
sides  were  islands,  great  and  small.  To  the  north 
appeared  a  more  open  sea.  We  were  anxious  to  get 
to  the  east,  and  as  we  dropped  anchor,  resolved  to 
sail  or  sweep  our  way  the  next  day  into  a  narrow 
pass  that  opened  to  the  eastward.  We  then  retired, 
leaving  a  watch  on  deck.  All  was  quiet.  There 
was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the  single  sail  we  had 
spread  hung  like  lead  from  its  fastenings.  For  a 
time  I  heard  the  tramp  of  the  watch  on  deck,  and 
then  fell  asleep.  When  I  awoke  the  tramp  had 
ceased.  The  silence  made  me  uneasy,  and  I  arose 
and  went  on  deck.  There,  on  his  back,  lay  the 
watch  fast  asleep.  He  had  been  overwearied  the 
night  before,  as  had  all  the  crew.  It  was  quite  dark, 
and  still  no  wind.  However,  it  seemed  to  me  that  we 
were  moving.  Suddenly  through  the  gloom  a  high, 
rocky  point  shot  past.  We  must  be  dragging  our 
anchor.  We  were  near  rocks  and  I  could  hear  the 
swirl  of  waters  on  both  sides.  We  were  in  a  narrow 
passage.  I  gave  the  alarm  and  all  came  running  on 
deck.  Ju^t  then  the  moon  came  out  and  we  saw 
that  we  were  in  the  narrow  pass  we  had  discerned 
before  darkness  came  on,  but  it  was  now  a  raging 
flood.     The  waters  boiled  beneath  us.  * 

Perez  was  the  coolest  of  the  lot.      "It  is  the  tide 

*  Probably  the  famous  Deception  Pass,  between  Fidalgo  and 
Whidby  Islands. 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  179 

rushing  in  through  this  narrow  passage, "  he  shouted. 
"Get  to  the  helm,  Andres,  and  keep  her  straight." 
I  obeyed  and  in  ten  minutes  the  danger  seemed  past. 
We  now  found  ourselves  in  closer  quarters  than  at 
any  time  before,  except  when  in  the  passage.  We 
were  in  a  sound  or  land-locked  bay.  We  must  get 
far  enough  away  from  the  mouth  of  that  pass  to 
avoid  being  swept  out  again  when  the  tide  should 
turn.  We  spread  our  sails  and,  as  a  light  wind  came 
on,  went  south  for  a  league.  Then  we  dropped 
anchor  again  and  slept  until  morning.  All  that  day 
we  sailed  south,  a  breeze  square  astern.  The  land 
on  either  side  was  bold  and  heavily  timbered.  Here 
and  there  appeared  splendid  harbors  and  the  shore 
everywhere  was  so  bold  we  could  almost  have  tied 
to  the  trees.  Occasionally  we  saw  natives  in  canoes, 
but  when  they  saw  us,  they  paddled  fast  up  some 
inlet  or  river  and  were  lost  to  view.  It  was  evident 
that  they  had  never  before  seen  white  men  or  ships. 
The  channel  widened  as  we  went  south,  and  at  sun- 
set we  entered  a  broad  roadstead  or  sound.  It  was 
in  fact  an  inland  sea,  so  vast  was  its  expanse.  We 
anchored  for  the  night  in  a  small  bight  on  its  eastern 
shore. 

The  next  morning  at  daylight  we  saw  coming 
along  shore  a  fleet  of  canoes,  and  we  stood  out  some 
distance.  On  they  came,  and  we  awaited  them. 
There  were  literally  hundreds  of  them,  and  all  were 
full  of  men.  As  they  came  within  three  hundred 
fathoms,  they  formed  and  advanced  fully  two  hun- 
dred abreast.  Within  fifty  fathoms  they  paused, 
and   a   mighty  shout    went   up,   while   the   air  was 


180  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

darkened  by  arrows.  These  arrows  were  aimed 
straight  up  and  not  at  us,  so  they  fell  almost 
on  the  heads  of  the  bowmen.  Then  there  was 
another  shout  and  out  from  the  line  came  a  score 
of  canoes,  from  which,  as  they  advanced,  the 
occupants  threw  feathers  on  the  water,  at  the  same 
time  raising-  their  hands  to  show  that  they  bore  no 
weapons. 

Perez  in  his  most  gorgeous  costume  here  appeared 
on  deck,  and  advanced  to  the  wale.  In  his  hands  he 
also  bore  feathers,  which  he  cast  out,  and  they  went 
lightly  off  on  the  dancing  waves.  He  had  inter- 
preted the  feather  tribute  as  a  symbol  of  peace,  and 
had  reciprocated.  At  his  action  another  great  shout 
went  up,  and  two  abreast  all  the  canoes  swept  by  the 
vessel's  side,  each  canoe  casting  something  aboard. 
Some  threw  small  fruits  and  berries,  some  dried 
meats  and  others  skins,  while  a  few  threw  small 
deerskin  bags  of  gold  dust.  The  deck  was  literally 
loaded  down  with  gifts.  Especially  numerous  were 
the  skins  of  the  sea-otter,  worth  almost  their  weight 
in  gold.  The  procession  of  canoes  now  took  a  wide 
sweep  out  on  the  gently  rolling  bosom  of  the  beauti- 
ful bay,  and  then,  with  all  the  precision  of  a  column  ' 
of  our  own  Castilian  soldiery,  came  back  past  our 
vessel.  Perez  had  ordered  me  to  bring  up  several 
bags  and  parcels,  and  from  these  he  now  drew  forth 
handfuls  of  glittering  beads,  rolls  or  twists  of  gay 
ribbon,  hanks  of  red  and  blue  cord  and  thread,  some 
tinsel  and  tinsel  fringe,  and  I  know  not  what  else. 
These  he  cast  into  the  canoes  as  they  passed  along, 
when  great  was  the  scramble  and  loud  the  shouting. 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  181 

The  procession,  however,  never  ceased  its  progress 
until  the  last  canoe  had  its  chance. 

"How  is  it  that  these  natives  have  this  plan  of 
trade  so  well  thought  out?  You  say  they  have  never 
seen  white  men,"  said  I  to  Perez. 

"They  have  seen  and  talked  with  other  natives 
along  the  coast  who  have  traded  with  white  men, 
and  you  may  be  sure  they  deal  just  as  they  were  told 
the  others  did.  I  doubt  not  that,  had  they  never 
heard  of  the  power  of  our  cannon,  they  would  have 
attacked  us.  This  power  has  been  magnified  all 
along  the  coast,  and  since  Cortez  taught  them  such 
a  terrible  lesson,  they  look  on  us  as  gods,  against 
whom  resistance  is  useless.  They  seek  to  propitiate 
us  by  this  mass  of  presents  and  consider  themselves 
lucky  that  we  give  them  anything  in  return.  Should 
we  sail  in  here  without  a  bead,  I  doubt  not  but  that  we 
should  receive  as  much  for  a  time,  but  wre  might 
not,  and  these  natives  might  forsake  the  shores 
during  our  stay.  I  therefore  provided  myself  with 
this  trash,  which  I  found  at  the  mission  long  before 
we  sailed.  What  do  you  reckon  to  be  the  value  of 
the  'potlatch'  or  gift  they  have  made  me?" 

"I  am  sure  I  could  not  say,  sir.  There  is  some 
gold  in  these  little  sacks,  and  those  furs,  of  the  value 
of  which  I  am  ignorant,  look  to  be  of  the  finest 
quality.  " 

Perez  laughed.  "The  big  bear  hide  that  first 
chief  threw  aboard  is  large  enough  and  fine  enough 
to  carpet  a  king's  sleeping  chamber.  It  will  bring 
at  least  two  and  possibly  three  Spanish  doubloons 
from  the  first  cruiser  we  may  meet  outside.     The 


iS-  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

English  pay  not  so  well,  but  for  these  smaller 
skins,  these  sea-otters,  they  will  give  even  more — the 
equivalent  of  at  least  five  doubloons,  or  four  English 
sovereigns.  There  are  many  of  this  otter — I  should 
say  one  hundred  and  fifty  at  least — and  I  calculate 
we  have  here  on  our  decks  no  less  than  five  hundred 
doubloons  or  four  hundred  English  sovereigns'  worth 
of  furs  and  gold.  In  return  I  gave  them  perhaps 
five  sovereigns'  worth.  What  think  you  of  such 
trade  as  that?" 

I  was  amazed,  and  said  so,  but  was  warned  by 
Perez  to  keep  these  values  to  myself,  lest  the  crew 
become  dissatisfied  with  the  bargain  they  had  made 
and  demand  more.  That  day  we  packed  away  the 
fruits  of  our  first  interchange  and  sailed  south  some 
twenty  leagues,  passing  at  one  time  through  a  wide 
body  of  water  and  later  dropping  anchor  near  some 
beautiful  islands. 

The  next  morning  we  received  a  greater  potlatch, 
the  natives  issuing  forth  from  a  broad  bay  indenting 
the  eastern  shore,  about  two  leagues  opposite  the 
islands.  After  their  procession,  the  main  body  of 
canoes  backed  off  some  distance  and  there  remained 
while  three  boats  larger  than  the  rest  advanced  to 
our  vessel's  side  and  made  signs  of  amity.  From 
the  largest  of  these  a  stalwart  and  regal-looking 
native  clambered  to  our  deck  and  stood  there  until 
three  or  four  slaves  had  followed  him  and  thrown 
about  his  shoulders  a  great  puma  or  cat  skin.  This 
skin,  which  must  have  been  at  least  ten  or  eleven 
feet  from  tip  to  tip,  had  been  taken  entire  from  the 
animal,  and  while  its  head  skin  formed  a  cap,  its 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  183 

forearms  were  brought  together  and  crossed  on  his 
broad  breast,  the  cruel  claws  dangling  down  over 
either  nipple.  Having  thus  dressed  him  toga- 
fashion,  these  slaves  prostrated  themselves  before 
him,  crying  in  guttural  tones,  their  mouths  mean- 
while close  to  the  deck:  "Sealth!  Hyas  Tyee 
Sealth!"  Thus  we  understood  that  the  greatest  of 
their  chieftains  stood  before  us,  and  Perez,  in  his 
most  imposing  costume,  came  forward  to  greet  him. 
The  chieftain  stood  like  a  statue,  his  barbaric  robe 
trailing  majestically  behind,  until  Perez  had  ad- 
vanced to  within  a  yard  of  him.  Then  reaching 
forward,  he  laid  one  hand  on  our  commander's 
shoulder  and  with  the  other  gently  patted  or  stroked 
a  gorgeous  plume  Perez  wore.  Perez  smiled  and  in 
return  stroked  the  magnificent  skin.  With  a  sign  to 
his  slaves,  the  Indian  grandee  stepped  back,  they 
unfastened  the  robe,  and  advancing  to  Perez,  the 
chief  put  it  about  his  shoulders.  Perez  signed  to 
me  and  I  plucked  the  plume  from  his  hat  and  thrust 
it  into  the  heavy  hair  of  the  chief,  at  which  there 
was  loud  acclaim  on  all  sides.  Leaving  his  robe 
behind  and  carefully  poising  his  head  that  his 
treasured  plume  might  not  drop  off,  the  chieftain 
hereupon  retired,  and  the  entire  procession  of 
canoes,  the  high  pro  wed  and  strangely  carved  barge 
of  Sealth  leading  the  way,  moved  out  across  the  bay 
again  and  soon  disappeared  around  a  projecting 
head. 

From  this  time  forward  we  were  constantly  busied 
in  trade  or  in  packing  away  the  goods  which  were 
left  each  morning  on  our  deck.     There  was  never 


184        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

any  bargaining  or  bantering,  the  natives  leaving  all 
to  our  generosity  and  retiring  to  a  respectful  dis- 
tance after  leaving  their  goods  upon  our  deck.  We 
did  not  venture  to  move  more  than  five  or  six 
leagues  any  one  day,  and  within  a  week  or  two  had 
made  the  round  of  the  entire  inland  sea  or  sound. 
We  could  not  discover  any  passage  or  outlet  to  the 
south,  and  finally  sailed  out  at  the  north  within  a 
couple  of  leagues  of  where  we  had  sailed  in.  By 
daylight  wc  examined  the  narrow  entrance  or  pass 
through  which  we  had  been  swept  that  night,  and 
found  it  safe  enough  at  certain  hours — just  at  the 
turn  of  the  tide — but  at  other  hours  it  was  a  boiling 
whirlpool,  almost  equal  to  the  far-famed  Charybdis. 
We  now  struck  out  into  the  wide  straits  of  Anian,  and 
under  cover  of  darkness  into  the  wider  ocean,  lest  we 
be  seen  by  some  wandering  sail  and  our  discovery 
become  known.  We  were  but  twenty  days  in  sail- 
ing down  the  coast  and  reached  the  Spanish  settle- 
ments on  the  west  shore  without  incident.  Here  the 
richness  of  our  cargo  created  great  comment  and  it 
was  only  by  dropping  out  one  night,  after  taking  on 
supplies,  that  we  avoided  being  followed.  Perez  had 
artfully  kept  all  aboard,  allowing  no  one  to  land  or 
communicate  with  those  ashore,  and  I  now  believe 
he  represented  to  those  with  whom  he  exchanged 
his  furs,  for  Spanish  and  English  gold,  that  we  had 
secured  them  from  the  northern  coast  of  Asia.  All 
the  gold  he  had  secured  he  melted  down  and  placed 
within  the  three  strong  chests,  and  with  promises 
of  heavy  pay  to  all  of  the  crew  remaining  after  a 
second  or  third  voyage,  which  he  wished  to   make 


DIARY  OF  ANDRES  TENORIO  185 

in  secret,  he  again  doubled  on  the  track  he  had 
taken  westward,  and  sailing  to  the  north,  again 
entered  our  sound  country — this  paradise  as  yet  all 
our  own. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

SPANISH     DIARY    CONTINUED — DEATH    OF    DISCOVERER 
PEREZ HORRIBLE  HUMAN  SACRIFICE 

We  soon  loaded  our  vessel  again  on  this  our 
second  visit,  and  within  the  next  eighteen  months 
made  no  less  than  four  trips  into  this  vast  sound 
region,  through  those  straits  Juan  de  Fuca  had 
written  about,  but  which  no  one  other  than  our- 
selves had  ere  this  been  able  to  rediscover.  We 
were  exceedingly  cautious  each  time  we  entered  or 
left  these  straits,  and  generally  sailed  by  night,  that 
no  one  might  learn  of  and  profit  by  our  discovery. 
We  had  ascertained  that  Spanish,  English  and  French 
traders  had  discovered  a  large  island,  as  they  sup- 
posed, up  at  the  north  of  this  Strait  of  Anian,  and 
were  constantly  pushing  a  heavy  and  profitable 
trade  with  the  Nootka  Indians,  who  controlled  not 
only  this  island  but  a  main  shore  to  the  east  of  a 
passage.  We  did  not  fear  the  Nootka  Indians  giving 
news  of  our  territory  to  these  traders,  for  they 
were  only  too  anxious  to  keep  all  this  trade  to  them- 
selves, but  we  did  fear  that  some  strolling  trading 
vessel  might  blunder  upon  our  territory,  and  by 
larger  gifts  than  we  made  deprive  us  of  a  portion  of 
the  great  profit  we  were  making.  During  all  these 
days  of  toil,  danger  and  accumulation,  Perez  was  the 
ideal  commander,  brave,  discreet  and  far-sighted, 
but  finally  because  followed  from   the  ports  of  the 

J86 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  107 

south,  he  sailed  with  a  cargo  to  the  settlements  in 
India,  on  the  southeast  coast  of  Asia,  and  there  dis- 
posed not  only  of  his  cargo,  but  in  his  cups  of  his 
secret.  I  was  present  at  the  time,  and  it  was  only 
by  the  shrewdest  calculation  and  prompt  action  that 
I  secured  the  assassination  of  those  he  had  betrayed 
himself  to.  While  he  was  sleeping  off  the  effects 
of  this  debauch,  Isabella,  who  had  latterly,  under  his 
promises,  seemed  to  reconcile  herself  and  work  in 
his  interests,  approached  me  and  proposed  that  we 
rid  ourselves  of  him  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 

To  say  that  I  was  amazed  at  this  bloodthirsty 
proposition  from  a  creature  I  had  deemed  so  sub- 
missive, in  action  if  not  always  in  looks,  is  but  to 
state  the  truth,  and  I  was  horrified  as  well.  But  I 
had  become  so  depraved  by  my  associations  that  I 
assented,  and  constantly,  during  that  long  return 
voyage  east,  did  I  ponder  over  the  chances  of  secur- 
ing both  Perez's  treasure  and  his  wife.  So  firmly 
did  this  passion  possess  me  that  I  fully  resolved  to 
murder  him  at  the  first  opportunity,  and  that 
opportunity  came  even  sooner  than  I  had  expected. 

We  had  reached  the  sound  country,  and  were  in 
the  vicinity  of  an  immense  hut  or  log  palace  built  on 
the  shore  and  facing  a  narrow  passage  at  the  back 
of  one  of  the  islands,  near  which  we  had  been  moored 
on  the  morning  Sealth  came  to  visit  us  and  present 
Perez  with  his  royal  robe.  It  seemed  that  Sealth 
had  recently  changed  his  kingly  residence  from  the 
shores  of  the  bay  across  the  sound  to  this  palace, 
and  here  we  had  lately  taken  on  a  large  portion  of 
our  cargo.     This  palace  was  in  its  way  a  marvel.     It 


X88        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

was  as  wide  as  our  vessel's  length,  or  near  it,  and 
as  long  as  a  score  of  such  vessels.  In  it  lived  nearly 
one  thousand  of  the  chief  people  of  the  allied 
Duwamish,  including  their  wives,  children  and 
slaves.  Sealth  had  first  been  brought  to  this  palace 
as  a  slave,  but  had  later  risen  to  be  chief  of  these 
vassals,  and  still  later,  by  a  revolution  of  his  tribe, 
to  hy  as  tyee  or  great  chief.  At  the  time  of  our  first 
visit  he  had  not  changed  his  residence,  but  did  so 
while  we  were  south  discharging  our  cargo. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  in  early  December. 
That  peculiarly  mild,  balmy  air,  characteristic  of 
this  sound  country,  even  when  winter  blasts  are 
blowing  far  south,  was  now  gently  rolling  the  green 
waters  about  us.  Along  shore,  but  a  few  hundred 
fathoms  distant,  the  native  children  were  playing, 
their  mothers  squatted  contentedly  watching  them. 
Perez  came  on  deck,  his  eyes  bleared  by  deep 
potations,  for  he  had  recently  indulged  again,  after 
an  abstinence  that  had  continued  throughout  our 
voyage  across  the  ocean.  As  I  have  said,  while  in 
liquor  he  was  always  jovial.  This  morning  he  was 
particularly  so,  and  swore  he  was  going  ashore  to 
make  a  native  tyee  drank.  I  was  astonished  at  his 
temerity,  and  told  him  so,  when  he  changed  from 
boisterous  good-nature  to  boisterous  anger,  and  order- 
ing out  a  crew  of  four,  took  with  him  a  large  flagon 
of  rum  and  soon  staggered  out  on  the  beach.  He 
was  apparently  bound  to  do  something  out  of 
the  usual  order,  for  he  had  dropped  his  dignity 
and  in  place  of  the  customary  salutation — the 
laying  of   firm   hand   on  shoulder — struck  heavily, 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  ^9 

pushed,  palled  and  swayed  about,  all  the  while 
laughing  uproariously.  I  saw  him  enter  the 
palace,  carrying  the  flagon  in  his  arms.  The 
four  oarsmen  had  remained  at  their  places  in  the 
boat.  All  was  quiet  for  a  space  of  thirty  minutes, 
except  for  an  occasional  outburst  of  laughter,  and 
having  begun  to  lose  the  fears  that  had  possessed 
me,  I  was  just  going  below,  when  I  heard  a  shout, 
sounding  like  the  voice  of  Perez  in  anger.  Then 
there  was  a  violent  pushing  against  the  great  mat, 
which  hung  between  the  standards  in  front  of  the 
palace.  An  instant  later  Perez  tumbled  or  scram- 
bled out  from  under  this  mat,  his  large  hat,  minus 
some  of  its  gaudy  feathers,  rolling  after.  He  was 
followed  by  a  score  of  tyees  and  lesser  tyees,  all 
striking  at  him  with  the  weapons  that  were  handiest. 
As  he  came  to  his  feet  he  drew  his  sword,  and  then 
for  the  space  of  a  few  seconds  there  was  as  pretty  a 
tight  as  ever  I  saw.  His  sword  was  a  heavy  one, 
but  he  handled  it  as  if  it  had  been  a  feather,  his 
great  strength  permitting  feats  impossible  to  most 
men.  A  savage  head  was  cloven  to  the  chin  with 
all  ease.  Another  rolled  on  the  pebbles  and  clam 
shells  that  covered  the  beach.  An  arm  was  lopped, 
a  cheek  and  nose  were  shaved  clean  off  a  bleeding 
face;  and  still  that  bright  blade  flashed  in  the 
morning  sun.  Perez's  blood  was  clearly  up.  He 
was  a  demon  when  roused,  and  I  was  not  surprised 
to  see  him  now  charge  the  whole  crowd.  They 
scrambled  over  one  another  in  their  haste  to  get  in 
under  that  heavy  curtain,  and  Perez,  cursing  like 
the  demon  he  was,  hurled  defiance  after  them.   Then 


19o        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

he  turned  and  stalked  slowly  down  the  beach.  At 
the  boat  he  turned  and  cursed  again,  and  as  the  tall 
form  of  Hy  as  Tyee  Sealth  emerged  from  the  farther 
end  of  the  palace,  he  rushed  toward  him  sword  in 
hand.  From  somewhere  inside  a  hundred  warriors 
saw  their  revered  chieftain's  danger,  and,  regardless 
of  consequences,  rushed  between. 

This  manifestation  warned  even  Perez,  and  facing 
them,  he  backed  to  the  boat,  which  he  shoved  off 
and  entered.  Then  as  the  boat  came  out  toward  our 
vessel's  side,  he  stood  up  in  her  stern,  and  waving 
his  blade,  cursed  again  as  drunken  men  will.  His 
head  was  bared  and  his  long  hair  and  coarse  beard 
were  matted  with  sweat  and  blood.  A  blow  from  a 
club  had  smashed  in  one  side  of  his  face,  and  all  in  all 
he  was,  at  close  range,  as  bestial  and  undignified 
looking  a  specimen  as  I  ever  saw.  So  seemed  to  think 
the  natives  also.  He  was  certainly  no  longer  a 
divinity  to  them,  for  he  had  condescended  to  quarrel 
with  their  lesser  chiefs,  to  whom  he  had  given 
"biting  water."  This  great  spirit  they  had  so  long 
revered  had  suddenly  lost  his  power  and  fallen  under 
the  spell  of  some  other  spirit  greater.  They  jab- 
bered excitedly  about  it  as  the  boat  left  the  shore, 
and  finally  risked  a  Might  of  arrows.  Perez  was 
struck  by  one  which  disabled  his  sword  arm,  and  the 
blade  fell  into  the  water,  whereat  the  natives  set  np  a 
great  shout  and  ran  for  their  own  canoes.  Three  of 
the  crew  were  also  struck  fatally,  and  the  fourth  man 
fainted  from  loss  of  blood  soon  after  we  pulled  him 
and  the  boat  aboard.  Perez  was  apparently  partially 
sobered  by  the  incident.      At  all  events,   he  helped 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  tgt 

us  as  best  he  could,  and  as  he  saw  some  forty  or 
fifty  canoes  coming  from  all  along  shore,  gave  the 
order  and  assisted  in  weighing  anchor.  The  morn- 
ing breeze  off  shore  had  not  yet  died  away,  and  we 
swept  out  of  the  passage  into  the  broader  waters  of  the 
bay  before  the  natives  could  overtake  us.  Then  we 
made  for  the  open  sound,  but  they  could  paddle 
faster  than  we  were  sailing,  and  soon  would  surround 
us. 

k' Teach  them  a  lesson!"  cried  Perez.  "Train  the 
big  gun ! ' ' 

I  did  so,  and  our  load  of  scrap  broke  five  or  six 
canoes  and  dyed  the  waters  with  the  blood  of  at 
least  a  score  of  savages.  As  I  began  reloading  the 
piece,  Perez  and  our  two  surviving  men  brought  up 
the  small  arms  and  commenced  shooting.  There 
was  now  great  consternation,  and  the  canoes  were 
already  turning  as  if  to  hasten  back,  when  out  past 
the  point  swept  the  great  war  barge  of  Sealth,  that 
gigantic  chief  erect  in  the  prow.  His  powerful 
voice  arose  above  all  the  din,  and  at  his  command 
one  hundred  or  more  canoes  formed  in  line  of  battle 
and  came  rapidly  on.  We  were  at  this  time  gather- 
ing headway,  and  the  strong  wind  which  swept  up 
the  sound  outside  bellied  out  our  sail.  The  canoe 
men  saw  that  we  would  outstrip  them,  and  spread- 
ing out  in  broad  front,  suddenly  let  fly  a  cloud  of 
arrows.  I  escaped,  but  every  other  man  aboard  was 
hit,  Perez  in  his  remaining  arm.  Juan  and  Jose  and 
Pierre — the  latter  a  Frenchman  from  Bayonne,  near 
the  Spanish  border — went  down,  each  with  one 
or  more  arrows  in  some  vital  portion,  and  to  me  was 


i92  REX  WAY-LAND'S  FORTUNE 

left  the  sailing  of  our  vessel.  The  Dona  Isabella 
was  below  when  the  imbroglio  occurred,  but  now 
came  rushing  up  and  straight  to  me. 

"What  means  this?"  she  cried. 

"Death  to  all,  if  the  wind  dies  first, "  was  my  reply, 
as  I  took  the  tiller  from  the  stiffening  hand  of  poor 
Pierre. 

"I  can  do  that!  Let  me!"  she  cried,  running  back 
to  me,  and  as  I  hesitated,  she  wrenched  my  hand 
from  the  tiller.  ' '  Go  fight ! ' '  she  commanded.  ' 4  Fire 
at  them!  We  will  at  least  have  revenge  for  the 
poor  brave  seamen  they  have  slain.  Train  the  big 
gun  with  care." 

I  did  so  and  saw  great  havoc  follow  the  report. 
All  this  time  the  vessel  was  sailing  faster,  while  that 
fierce-looking  woman  at  the  helm  said  not  a  word 
to  comfort  her  wounded  husband,  who,  with  an  arrow 
through  each  shoulder,  lay  groaning  not  three  yards 
from  her.  As  I  came  back  where  she  was,  breathing 
freer  that  we  were  now  out  of  danger,  she  laid  her 
hand  on  my  arm  and  asked,  while  tears  filled  her 
eyes:  "Poor  fellows!     Are  they  all  dead?" 

"All  but  your  husband,  madame,"  was  my  reply. 
"He,  as  you  hear,  is  alive  and  groaning,  but  badly 
hurt.  "  Her  eyes  flashed  and  her  nostrils  dilated  with 
scorn  as  she  turned  to  look  at  him. 

"Let  him  lie!  He  won't  poison  any  more  people, 
nor  will  he  carouse  and  drink  with  natives,  who 
would  have  been  harmless  as  children  but  for 
him." 

As  she  fairly  hissed  these  hard  words,  I  started 
and  looked  down  at  Perez,  but  with  his  last  groan 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  lg^ 

he  had  fainted  from  loss  of  blood.  As  I  looked  up, 
she  met  my  gaze  steadily,  and  said: 

"Andres  Tenorio,  all  these  months  have  I  debated 
whether  to  kill  him  myself  or  give  him  up  to  the 
people  when  we  reach  the  mission.  I  am  aware  that 
you  only  suspect  how  my  uncle  died.  I  know. 
That  villain  has  even  taunted  me  with  his  horrible 
secret.  He  is  now  in  my  power.  The  saints  have 
delivered  him  into  my  hands.  I  have  decided.  He 
shall  die  to-day." 

Long  as  I  had  plotted,  I  was  inclined  to  weaken 
when  the  chance  came.  She  saw  it  by  my  looks. 
"Come  here!"  she  commanded.  I  stepped  nearer, 
and  looking  me  full  in  the  face,  her  eyes  grew  lumi- 
nous, but  soft  and  tender  this  time,  for  tears  filled 
them. 

"Andres,"  she  whispered,  "we  are  together  in 
misfortune.  Has  he  not  ruined  your  life,  too?  Did 
he  not  entice  you  away  from  your  home  in  far  away 
Seville,  where  a  poor  mother  prays  even  now  for 
her  lost  boy?  Have  you  not  worked  hard  for  him? 
Has  he  ever  paid  you  one  peseta  in  all  these  years? 
I  pity  you.  More  do  I  pity  the  mother  mourning 
for  you.  And  what  of  myself?  I  am  no  older  than 
you,  but  while  I  am  a  ruined,  deceived  woman,  a 
woman  without  faith  in  any  one,  you  are  a  boy. 
You  can  redeem  yourself.  You  shall.  I  am  going 
to  make  you  rich,  and  return  you  to  your  home. 
Kneel  to  your  mistress,  boy!     I  command  you." 

She  had  taken  me  in  a  tender  way.  I  wept,  I 
knew  not  why ;  and  as  I  knelt,  I  bathed  her  fingers 
with  my  tears. 


I94        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

"  There!  There!  Andres.  Rise  again!  You  have 
taken  an  oath  of  allegiance  without  words.  If  you 
were  ever  passively  or  even  actively  in  league  with 
that  man,  I  forgive  you.  I  once  planned  to  have 
you  kill  him.  I  am  glad  you  did  not  now.  Drag 
those  bodies  forward  and  wrap  them  for  burial, 
while  I  do  my  part.  My  dear  husband  needs  a 
cordial.      Bring  me  wine." 

I  brought  her  a  flask  from  the  cabin,  and  as  I 
handed  it  to  her,  saw  that  she  had  in  some  way 
secured  the  phial  of  poison  Perez  constantly  carried 
with  him.  Sitting  beside  him  on  the  deck,  she  began  to 
bathe  his  temples  with  the  wine,  forced  some  between 
his  teeth,  and  even  rubbed  some  of  it  in  his  nostrils. 
He  gasped,  his  eyelids  slowly  lifted,  and  with  an 
oath  he  attempted  to  sit  up.  "Lie  still,  Juan,"  I 
heard  her  say.  Just  then  I  looked  out  around  the 
head  that  jutted  into  the  roadstead,  and  changed  our 
course  to  save  a  tack.  When  I  looked  again,  she  was 
yet  bending  over  him  and  pressing  the  wine  flask 
to  his  lips.  He  drank  three  swallows,  and  rising  with 
the  look  of  a  fiend  on  her  face,  she  threw  the  flask 
far  from  her,  and  laughed  so  loudly  that  Perez, 
weak  as  he  was,  opened  his  eyes  wide  in  wonder. 
As  he  looked,  she  checked  her  laughter,  and  gazing 
down  at  him,  said,  in  low,  unearthly  tones: 

"Carlos  Perez,  look  on  this  crucifix  I  hold  up  to 
you,  and  pray  with  all  your  strength,  for  in  ten  min- 
utes you  may  be  dead.  You  have  with  that  wine 
swallowed  some  of  the  same  cordial  you  gave  my 
uncle,  the  good  Father  Francis.  You  told  him  it 
would  restore  him.     Perhaps  it  will  restore  you,  but 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  tg$ 

you  know  how  it  affected  him.  Are  he  and  I 
avenged?" 

Weak  as  he  was,  Perez  sat  up  at  once,  but  she 
pushed  him  back.  I  sprang  forward  and  caught  her 
by  the  wrist,  but  she  shook  me  off,  and  kneeling 
beside  him,  gazed  exultantly  into  his  fast  glazing 
eyes,  at  the  same  time  holding  the  crucifix  she  had 
always  worn  close  to  his  face.  Perez's  lips  moved, 
and  he  seemed  trying  to  frame  words — perhaps  a 
prayer,  perhaps  a  curse.  But  he  never  spoke  dis- 
tinctly again.  We  two,  that  terrible  woman  and  I, 
were  the  only  living  beings  on  that  speeding  ship. 

All  that  day  we  sailed  to  the  north.  Doila  Isabella 
was  very  pale,  but  quiet  and  gentle  now,  and  took 
her  turn  at  the  helm  while  I  ate  my  meals,  or  rigged 
the  sails.  The  sun  had  scarcely  dropped  behind  the 
high  snowy  peaks  on  our  left  that  afternoon,  when 
the  moon  came  out,  and  over  those  tossing  white- 
capped  waves  we  sailed  on  to  the  north.  The  days 
are  very  short  at  this  season  in  these  latitudes,  and  I 
had  dreaded  the  long  night  before  us,  for  I  feared  a 
storm.  All  day  had  I  seen  storm  rifts  in  the  sky — a 
sure  sign — but  now  the  night  was  perfect  and  we 
were  making  great  headway.  I  lashed  the  helm, 
and  with  the  help  of  the  wife  of  Perez  slid  the  stark 
bodies  of  our  companions  over  the  wale  into  the 
phosphorescent  water.  She  assisted  me  until  each 
body  was  poised,  and  then  stepping  back,  she  mut- 
tered the  service  she  had  so  many  times  heard  her 
uncle  say.  Never  can  I  forget  her  Madonna-like 
face,  as  gazing  up  at  the  moon  she  earnestly 
repeated  those  holy  words.      What  a  creature  she 


i96        RKX  WAVLAND'g  FORTUNE 

was!  How  unlike  the  woman  who  but  a  few  hours 
before  had  exulted  over  her  dying  husband!  She 
did  not  omit  the  holy  rites  even  over  the  body  of 
Perez.  While  I  wept  and  trembled,  she  was  dry- 
eyed  and  composed.  We  were  now  nearing  a  nar- 
rower channel,  and  must  soon  turn  to  the  west,  out 
through  the  straits  of  Anian.  We  rounded  the  point 
and  bore  west,  but,  as  we  did  so,  the  clear  sky,  with 
its  bright  moon  and  twinkling  stars,  was  hidden  by 
the  black  clouds  of  the  storm  I  had  feared,  and  the 
fury  of  a  tempest  opposed  us.  It  was  of  little  use  to 
attempt  going  farther,  and  with  close-reefed  sail  we 
put  back  behind  the  point  for  shelter.  By  the  time 
we  had  t-ounded  it,  the  wind  had  changed  and  blew 
from  the  north  with  great  violence.  We  were  being 
driven  back  to  the  south.  Just  at  early  morning 
light  ws  saw  a  bay  to  the  south  and  east,  and  by 
great  effort  put  in  there.  It  was  the  bay  at  the 
southwest  side  of  one  of  the  great  islands  we  had 
first  rounded  on  penetrating  this  region,  and  I  had 
never  entered  it  before.  It  seemed  a  safe  harbor, 
but  *o  my  horror,  when  once  inside,  I  found  it  shal- 
low, and  on  the  going  out  of  the  tide  we  stranded. 
The  tide  went  lower,  and  with  our  deep  keel  we 
listed  badly,  a  conspicuous  object  on  all  that  wide 
fiat. 

With  daylight  came  an  abatement  of  the  wind,  the 
sea  outside  still  tossing,  but  the  tide  seemed  still 
leaving  us.  Soon  we  were  seen  by  natives  on  the 
eastern  shore,  and  with  motioned  protestations  of 
friendship,  they  came  toward  us.  The  Dona  was 
tor  fight,  but  I  overruled  her,  and  we  allowed  them 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  I97 

to  come  aboard.  They  were  indeed  friendly,  and  I 
was  satisfied  we  had  acted  wisely,  when  across  the 
sound  to  the  southwest  I  saw  a  fleet  of  canoes  com- 
ing from  the  very  direction  of  the  tragedy  of  the  day 
before.'  Had  they  been  two  hours  later,  the  tide 
must  have  righted  us  up  and  permitted  us  to  escape. 
But  the  Indians,  headed  by  Old  Sealth,  came  first, 
and  we  were  at  their  mercy.  The  Dona  did  not 
reproach  me.  On  the  contrary,  she  endeavored  to 
cheer  me,  and  has  never  since,  during  all  these  years 
of  servitude  and  bitter  trial,  spoken  one  word  other 
than  kindly. 

The  chief  into  whose  hands  we  had  at  first  fallen 
was  Skagiticus,  and  he  was  friendly,  as  all  these 
Indians  would  have  been  but  for  the  cursed  folly  of 
Perez.  Sealth,  however,  was  hy  as  tyee  of  all  this 
region,  as  his  son  is  to-day,  and  he  compelled 
Skagiticus  to  hand  us  and  the  vessel  over.  Kakii 
Silma,  the  daughter  of  Skagiticus,  and  chief  prin- 
cess of  her  tribe,  now  claimed  the  Dona  as  her  slave, 
but  Sealth  was  too  shrewd  to  be  thus  balked.  He 
asked  for  Kakii  Silma  as  his  second  wife,  and  both 
she  and  the  Dona  later  came  to  the  royal  palace, 
where  the  wedding  took  place. 

This  capture,  as  I  have  related  it,  occurred  in 
December  of  1772,  and  the  wedding  of  Old  Sealth 
and  Kakii  Silma  in  March  of  1773.  I  have  kept  the 
best  record  I  could  of  the  dates  and  years,  but  may 
be  somewhat  wrong  in  others  except  these,  because 
at  times  I  have  been  away  on  voyages  and  hunting 
trips  with  my  masters,  and  have  otherwise  lived  in 
such  a  manner  that  I  could  not  be  sure  of  a  perfect 


198 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


record.  Once  I  was  ill  for  a  time,  and  was  delirious 
but  Dona  Isabella  kept  the  dates  for  me,  and  has 
since  assured  me  I  am  correct.  I  have  stated  that 
during  all  these  years  I  have  spoken  to  no  white 
person  except  Dona  Isabella.  I  had  forgotten. 
Four  years  ago,  I  went  north  some  eighty  miles,  one 
of  the  suite  of  Sealth  II.,  who  since  nearing  man's 
estate  has  greatly  increased  the  sway  of  his  family. 
It  was  in  this  way:  Shortly  after  the  marriage  of 
Sealth  I.  to  Kakii  Silma,  Chief  Kitsap  sought  to 
overthrow  the  power  of  Sealth,  and  created  a  con- 
federacy among  the  Quilayutes  and  other  tribes  to 
the  north  and  west.  He  did  not  fully  succeed,  but 
the  confederacy  lasted  some  fifteen  years,  when  the 
tribes  to  the  south  and  east  banded  together  to 
attack  Kitsap's  confederacy.  Sealth  II.,  young  as  he 
was,  took  active  part  in  this  movement,  and  aided 
his  father  in  re-establishing  the  confederacy  between 
the  Duwamish  tribes,  which  had  been  greatly  weak- 
ened. The  new  confederacy  met  and  defeated  the 
western  Indians  under  Kitsap,  and  the  Sealths  then 
took  hostages  from  them,  thus  attacking  Kitsap  and 
all  his  allies.  They  were  aided  by  Skagiticus,  and 
were  now  at  the  head  of  a  vast  confederacy  over 
which  Sealth  II.  will  one  day,  if  he  does  not  now, 
rule  with  a  rod  of  iron.  It  was  at  the  close  of  this 
war  that  Sealth  II.  set  out  for  the  Nootka  country, 
north  of  the  Straits  of  Anian,  and  threatened  to 
desolate  it  unless  they  sent  him  hostages.  This 
they  did,  and  at  the  time  of  that  treaty  I  met  a 
white  man  named  Maccay,  who  had  been  left  behind 
by  an  East  Indian  merchantman  and  trader,  com- 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  I99 

manded  by  a  Captain  Hanna.  Maccay  was  living 
with  an  Indian  wife,  and  had  learned  enough  of  the 
Chinook  jargon  to  converse  somewhat  with  rne, 
although  he  was  a  Scotchman  and  I  Spanish.  He 
could  not  help  me,  nor  prevail  on  young  Sealth  to 
let  me  go  with  him.  He  was  to  be  called  for  the 
next  spring,  and  promised  to  cause  his  people  to 
come  after  me,  but  for  some  reason  has  never 
done  so. 

I  am  still  here,  where  I  have  been  all  these  years. 
We  are  well  treated,  but  in  constant  fear  of  being 
selected  as  sacrifices  at  some  awful  potlatch  or  gift- 
feast  of  these  natives.  At  such  times  they  offer  up 
their  dearest  possessions  to  the  great  Tamahnawis, 
or  evil  spirit,  which  they  believe  dwells  in  the  moun- 
tains to  the  west  of  us.  The  influence  of  Sealth  II. 
and  Kakii  Silma,  his  stepmother,  has  twice  saved  us. 
Once  Sealth  II.,  or  Sealth  the  Great,  as  he  is  now 
being  called,  would  have  given  us  up,  but  Kakii 
Silma  was  so  furious  and  so  determined  that  she 
prevailed  against  all,  and  we  were  saved.  Several 
hostages  and  slaves  from  dependent  tribes  suffered 
instead.  All  stand  in  awe  of  this  Kakii  Silma,  who 
has  become  in  appearance  an  aged  hag,  and  is  a 
priestess,  or  as  near  it  as  her  people  ever  allow  a 
woman  to  be.  She  is  something  of  a  prophetess,  is 
a  ventriloquist,  and  a  worker  of  tricks  and  charms, 
such  as  mystify  all — even  her  husband.  So  long  as 
she  lives  we  are  safe,  for  she  and  Dona  Isabella  are 
like  sisters,  rather  than  like  mistress  and  slave.  At 
the  time  Van  Coovohr  sailed  in  these  waters,  early 
this  year,  the  second  white  person,  as  I  believe,  to 


2oo        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

explore  this  region,  she  would  have  offered  us  in 
exchange  for  gifts,  as  Dona  Isabella  implored,  but 
was  finally  persuaded  to  keep  us,  and  we  were  hid- 
den. We  saw  the  ship  at  a  distance — there  may 
have  been  more  than  one — as  it  cruised  about  for 
days,  taking  soundings  and  surveying,  but  we  could 
not  go  to  it,  for  we  were  prisoners  under  guard,  in 
a  hut  on  a  high  point  between  the  river  Duwamish 
and  the  sound.  Here  is  the  old-time  stronghold  of 
Sealth  I.,  and  to  this  place  are  we  sent  at  the  first 
appearance  of  white  men.  We  are  now  browned  by 
wind  and  weather,  clothed,  as  are  the  savages,  with 
skins  of  beasts,  and  speak  their  language.  I  even 
think  in  it,  although  I  can  never  forget  dear  old 
Seville  and  Spain.  I  wonder  if  my  father  and 
mother  are  yet  living?  They  must  be  very  old 
now,  and  have  probably  long  ago  given  up  as  dead 
their  poor  son  Andres. 

Here  ended  the  main  portion  of  the  narrative, 
which  reads  as  reproduced  here,  except  that  certain 
dates  of  the  ending  or  beginning  of  entries  have 
been  dropped  out.  It  seemed  as  if  Tenorio  had 
worked  secretly  at  this  book  whenever  opportunity 
offered.  After  the  last  entry  there  was  a  blank 
space  of  four  pages.  In  fact,  there  was  no  more 
writing  in  the  book,  except  on  the  front  and  back  of 
what  should  have  been  a  fly-leaf.  On  the  back  of 
this  leaf,  as  has  been  stated,  was  the  Latin  proverb, 
"Culpam  poena  premit  comes" — ''Punishment  surely 
follows  crime."  On  the  front  side  of  this  leaf, 
in  a   small  feminine  hand,  and  inverted,  as   if  the 


SPANISH  DIARY  CONTINUED  2oi 

writer   had    hastily   caught    up  the   book,   was   this 
brief  entry: 

"June  — ,  1793. — They  have  come  with  poor 
Andres  bound.  The  rumblings  of  the  mountain 
have  been  too  violent.  The  Thunderbird  must  be 
appeased.  Andres,  I,  and  our  three  chests  of 
treasure,  must  be  sacrificed  to  satisfy  it.  The  secret 
of  the  chests  they  do  not  know,  nor  shall  they.  The 
treasure  Perez  gave  his  soul  for  shall  go  into  the 
crater  with  us.  Kakii  Silma  is  protesting  outside, 
but  she  cannot  triumph.  I  feel  that  we  are  doomed. 
We  go  to  the  place  of  the  Great  Elk  Horns.  These 
have  never  been  taken  down,  and  the  Evil  Tamah- 
nawis  has  not  deigned  to  accept  that  sacrifice.  AVe 
shall  be  hurled  into  the  pit  of  bubbling  water,  which 
has  no  bottom.  Jesu  forgive!  Mother  of  God  the 
Glorified,  Christ,  and  the  Saints,  be  merciful!  They 
are  coming.  I  hear  their  cries  outside.  I  know  our 
fate.      Adios!  Isabella." 

On  the  corner,  or  commencing  at  the  corner  of 
another  fly-leaf,  and  spreading  out  like  a  fan  diag- 
onally across  from  top  to  the  right  edge  of  another 
fly-leaf,  was  a  second  entry  in  the  same  hand  and 
apparently  of  a  later  date : 

"Young  Sealth  is  to  command  the  party.  The 
neighboring  tribes  have  each  furnished  a  strong 
chief.  A  young  man  from  each  of  the  Selish  clans, 
from  the  Semiahmoos,  Lummies,  Samish,  Skagits, 
Snoqualmies,  Nisquallies,  Puyallups,  Satsops,  and 
other   near-by    tribes,    will  start    from   here,   while 


202        REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

these  will  be  met  on  the  other  arm  of  the  sound  at 
the  base  of  the  mountains  by  others  from  the 
Chehalis,  Clallam,  Cowlitz,  Skokomish  and  Twana 
tribes.  Kakii  Silma,  wild  with  grief  and  rage,  is 
groveling  at  my  feet.  With  her  I  leave  this 
record,  lest  it  be  found  and  sacrificed  with  us.  *  The 
chests — they  are  coming!  Is " 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

THE    DIARY      DISCUSSED — INTERESTING      HISTORY "UN- 

CLE,     I'M    GOING     TO    FIND    THAT    TREASURE" 

While  Rex  had  been  reading  his  translation,  the 
original  record  had  lain  close  to  him,  and  this  Mrs. 
Wayland  now  took  tip.  Turning  to  the  last  entry, 
which  had  apparently  been  so  hastily  scrawled,  she 
looked  at  it,  and  tears  filled  her  eyes.  "Poor  lady! 
She  was  by  this  account  a  murderess,  and  yet  she 
had  as  good  an  excuse  as  any  one  can  have  for  such 
a  hideous  crime — a  crime  she  seems  to  have  been 
driven  to  commit  and  dearly  suffered  for. 

Uncle  Festus,  who  had  sat  soberly  all  through  the 
narrative,  here  heaved  a  long  sigh,  and  looking  dis- 
appointed, said:  "I  don't  see,  folks,  as  we're  any 
nearer  the  treasure  than  we  was  afore.  To  be  sure, 
we  know  what  became  of  it,  and  we  know  it  was  treas- 
ure fer  certain,  but  jest  whar  'twas  put,  we  ain't  any 
the  wiser.  I'm  sorry  now,  Rex,  I  was  so  finicky  as 
to  make  you  put  that  book  back.  It  was  reely 
somethin'  weoughter  made  public  then.  I  persoom 
now,  some  o'  them  perfessers  over  to  the  university 
would  be  mighty  glad  to  hev  holt  o'  thet. " 

44 But  they  won't  get  it,  uncle.  I'm  well  enough 
satisfied  as  things  are.  I  always  do  like  to  hunt 
things  out,  and  I'm  going  to  find  that  treasure  if  it 
takes  me  years.  I've  always  wanted  to  hunt  up  in 
those  mountains,  and  now  I've  another  object  than 

203 


204 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


game.      I'm  going  to  hunt  for  that  crater  until  I 
find  it." 

"Ye  don't  know  the  job  ye're  gittin'  into,  boy.  I 
tell  ye,  ye  can't  git  back  twenty  mile  from  the  coast 
ter  save  yer  soul." 

"I  can  go  anywhere  those  Indians  could." 

"No,  ye  can't.  Ye  ain't  got  the  stuff  in  ye  them 
young  bucks  had.  I  tell  ye,  Sealth  an'  that  picked 
crowd  he  took  didn't  compare  much  with  these  con- 
sumptive, bow-legged  critters  ye  see  round  here 
these  days.  Ye  kin  ask  any  o'  the  old-timers,  an' 
they'll  tell  ye  Sealth  was  a  giant.  Why!  I've  seen 
him  drive  an  arrer  clean  through  a  two-inch  plank, 
when  he  was  past  seventy  year  old.  What  couldn't 
he  a  done  when  he  was  in  his  prime?" 

"And  that  reminds  me,  uncle.  This  record  proves 
Sealth  to  have  been  fifteen  or  twenty  years  older 
than  was  generally  supposed.  You  know  the  grave- 
stone over  here  at  Old  Man  House  cemetery  says. 
'Aged  about  eighty  years.''  According  to  this 
account,  which  I  believe  can  be  taken  ahead  of  all 
tradition  or  opinion,  he  was  about  twenty-five  years 
old  when  he  went  up  in  the  mountains  with  these 
people.  If  he  was  eighty  when  he  died,  in  1866,  he 
must  have  been  born  in  1786.  He  certainly  could 
not  have  led  that  band  when  he  was  seven  years  of 
age,  nor  could  he  have  gone  north  to  demand 
hostages  of  the  Nootkas  when  he  was  from  one  to 
three  years  of  age.  He  was  probably  twenty-five 
or  thirty  years  old  when  he  headed  this  party  of 
sacrificers.  His  age,  as  he  always  spoke  of  it, 
was   probably    reckoned  from  the  time  he  became 


"I  CAN  GO  ANYWHERE  THOSE  INDIANS  COULD. 
205 


206        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

chief.  I  presume  he  had  very  little  idea  of  time 
anyway. ' ' 

"These  Siwash  never  hev,"  laughed  Uncle  Festus. 
"I  remember  onct,  I  asked  a  plump  young  Klootch- 
man  out  the  canal  here  a  piece  how  old  she  was.  She 
stopped  an'  thought  a  minute,  an'  then  says,  '  'Bout 
two  hundred  year.'  Another  ole  chief  over  'mong 
the  Quilayutes  informed  me,  grave  as  a  deekin,  that 
he  wuz  more'n  three  hundred  year  old,  an'  said  he 
remembered  well  when  the  Thunderbird  sailed  'crost 
last  time." 

"Since  I  began  this  translation,"  continued  Rex, 
"I  have  been  looking  up  the  history  of  this  coast 
pretty  thoroughly.  I  find  some  very  good  works  on 
it  in  the  Seattle  public  library.  Bancroft — not  the 
great  George,  but  Hubert  Howe,  of  California — has 
written  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  large  volumes, 
mostly  about  Pacific  coast  matters.  He  gives  all  the 
myths  as  well  as  verified  facts,  and  I  think  he  and 
some  others  would  be  very  glad  of  this  record,  for  it 
shows  that  Carlos  Perez  made  earlier  and  fully  as 
important  discoveries  as  did  his  cousin,  the  noted 
Juan,  who,  with  Heceta  and  others,  came  up  here  in 
1773  and  1775.  I  believe  Juan  was  pilot  for  Heceta 
on  the  last  trip.  Then  there .  was  Captain  James 
Cook  in  1778,  a  Spanish  expedition  by  Artaga  and 
Cuadra  in  1779,  another  by  the  English  under  Cap- 
tain Hanna  in  1785,  one  by  the  French  under  La 
Perouse  the  same  year,  only  farther  north.  This 
man  Hanna  came  back  down  the  coast  and  left 
Maccay,  the  Scotchman  Tenorio  saw  in  1785,  and 
called  for  him  one    or  two  years   later.       If  poor 


THE  DIARY  DISCUSSED  ioy 

Tenorio  had  been  a  Scotchman  or  Englishman, 
instead  of  a  Spaniard,  whom  the  English  hated, 
especially  in  this  region  where  there  was  great 
rivalry,  in  all  probability  Maccay  would  have  pre- 
vailed on  Hanna  to  go  in  search  of  him.  Captains 
Portlock  and  Dixon  came  over  from  India  in  1786, 
with  two  small  vessels,  and  took  back  with  them 
2,600  of  these  sea  otter  skins,  for  which  they 
received,  even  in  those  days,  nearly  $100  apiece." 

"Pity  they  couldn't  a  got  the  price  they  bring 
now,"  interrupted  Uncle  Festus.  "The  last  year 
fur  trade  circular  quoted  'em  at  $500,  an'  I  under- 
stand they're  wuth  $750  to  $900  this  year.  I  do 
know  they  brought  $450  ten  year  ago,  fer  a  boy  out 
to'rds  Townsend  got  two  an'  paid  a  mortgidge  on 
his  father's  ranch  with  'em." 

"Yes,  uncle.  They  were  valuable  and  plenty,  just 
as  the  seal  is  farther  north  to-day.  The  old  records 
I  have  examined  at  odd  times  speak  of  them  as  'the 
only  animal  on  which  no  other  beast  than  man 
preys. '  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the  history  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  the  most  wonderful  and 
successful  business  corporation  that  ever  has  existed. 
During  the  half  century  they  were  engaged  in  wip- 
ing out  their  competitor,  the  Northwest  Company, 
they  paid  little  if  any  dividends,  but  during  all  the 
rest  of  their  existence,  a  period  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred years,  they  have  paid  all  the  way  from  ten  to 
seventy  per  cent  annual  dividend,  and  have  watered 
their  stock  pretty  liberally  too.  John  Jacob  Astor, 
of  New  York,  the  man  who  laid  the  fortunes  of  the 
great  Astor  family,   founded  Astoria  away  back  in 


2o8         REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

1S09,  and  I  find  him  a  mighty  shrewd  Dutchman. 
He  competed  with  all  these  British  fur  men  as  best 
he  could  until  right  away  after  the  War  of  181 2, 
when  he  took  advantage  of  the  popular  feeling 
against  everything  British  and  secured  such  national 
legislation  as  drove  them  all  over  the  line,  while  he, 
under  the  firm  name  of  North  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, enjoyed  all  their  old-time  privileges.  He 
even  went  so  far  as  to  go  to  Montreal  and  purchase 
the  posts  of  all  British  traders  within  the  boundaries 
of  the  United  States  for  a  mere  song,  for  the  British 
could  not  battle  against  a  law  which  declared  that 
'neither  British  traders  nor  British  capital  should  be 
tolerated  in  United  States  territory,  and  that  no 
British  subject  should  be  given  license  to  trade  in 
the  United  States.'  " 

"Wall!"  said  Uncle  Festus,  with  another  sigh,  "I 
don't  see  but  Rex  has  got  about  all  the  benefit  outen 
this  treasure  hunt.  He's  larned  a  lot  o'  histry,  an' 
the  Spanish  lingo  ter  boot " 

"Yes,  and  I'm  going  to  find  that  treasure,  Uncle 
Festus.  You  are  not  the  man  to  abandon  a  thing 
because  some  little  obstacle  comes  up.  Think  it 
over  a  day  or  two  and  I'll  go  over  to  Peroux's  and 
take  a  preliminary  excursion  into  the  mountains. 
I'm  sure  he  won't  lead  me  into  danger;  and  I  want 
an  elk.  Besides,  I  must  see  what  those  mountains 
are.  According  to  your  stories,  they're  worse  than 
the  Cascades." 

"Wuss'n  the  Cascades!"  snorted  the  old  man. 
"The  Cascades  ain't  a  patch  to  'em  fer  rough 
ness. " 


THE  DIARY  DISCUSSED  20$ 

"Well!  I'm  going  up  about  twenty  miles,  just  to 
see,  anyway.  I'll  start  to-morrow  if  you  can  spare 
me,  and  I'll  be  back  in  about  a  week.  I  think  I'll 
go  to  bed  now.     Good-night!" 


CHAPTER   XXV 

PEROUX  AND    PERRY,    TWO    TYPICAL    MOUNTAINEERS 

Rex  will  never  forget  just  how  Peroux  looked  that 
winter  morning  he  met  the  boat  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Ducquebush.  On  this  occasion  Peroux  was  not 
expecting  company,  but  had,  in  the  early  morning 
light,  ridden  down  the  trail  on  one  of  his  mares, 
knowing  she  could  be  trusted  to  stand  while  he  tried 
a  few  shots  at  duck. 

As  Rex's  boat  pulled  over  past  Black  Point,  old 
French  Fred  was  out  sweeping  his  net  for  his  daily 
harvest  of  dog  fish,  and  as  he  had  secured  enough 
livers  to  guarantee  him  a  five-gallon  can  of  oil  at 
least,  he  was  very  happy,  and  consequently  very 
talkative  for  him.  He  hailed  the  boat  in  his  queer 
Franco-English,  and  insisted  that  they  come  ashore 
and  eat  with  him.  This  hearty  invitation  they 
declined,  leaving  the  old  fellow  far  from  pleased, 
for  he  is  jealously  hospitable.  They  rounded  the 
point  and  pulled  in  toward  the  rent  in  the  moun- 
tains, out  from  under  whose  banks  of  fog,  the  busy, 
brawling  Ducquebush,  via  its  half-dozen  mouths, 
finds  its  way  to  the  sea.  The  tide  was  nearly  at  its 
full,  and  the  river  seemed  to  gush  out  from  between 
the  mountains.  In  toward  the  center  of  the  gap 
gleamed  the  white  walls  of  a  ranch  house,  while  sev- 
eral great  oxen  stood  out  along  shore,  knee  deep  in 
swales,  like  statues  of  the  sacred  kine  of  India.     A 


TWO  TYPICAL  MOUNTAINEERS  2It 

mile  or  more  away,  on  the  other  point  of  the  bay, 
could  be  heard  a  woman's  voice  calling-  a  great  flock 
of  fowl  to  their  morning  feed,  while  screaming 
white-winged  gulls  circled  overhead,  and  myriads  of 
water-birds  skimmed  here  and  there  across  the  rolling 
waters.  The  east  wind  moaned  among  the  tall  fir 
trees  which  crowned  the  rocky  heights,  and  before 
it  the  eager  tide  was  rushing  in,  making  "rips"  at 
all  points  where  the  river's  mouth  met  it.  The 
breaking  waves,  thundering  against  the  rocky  shores, 
the  moaning  winds  overhead,  the  screams  of  wild- 
fowl, all  conspired  to  furnish  a  grand  diapason, 
the  echoes  of  which,  at  intervals  of  comparative 
silence,  could  be  heard  rolling  far  up  along  the 
mighty  mountain  ridges,  stretching  westward,  up, 
up — even  above  the  low  hanging  clouds.  The  boat 
finally  headed  up  a  narrow  "slew,"  when  just 
ahead  on  the  stiller  water  a  flock  of  mallards  was 
seen. 

"Pretty  shot,  if  we're  close  enough,"  remarked 
one  of  the  oarsmen. 

"Yes,"  said  Rex.  "Pretty  good  distance,  but  in 
reach  of  a  good  rifleman."  As  he  spoke,  the  sharp 
crack  of  a  rifle  rent  the  air,  and  as  two  mallards 
struggled  helplessly  in  the  water,  where  they  were 
left  by  their  fleeing  companions,  Peroux  arose  from 
the  reeds  and  advanced  across  the  marsh  to  the 
slough.  He  made  a  fine  picture  as  he  came  striding 
along.  His  service-scarred  Ballard  rifle  he  used  as 
a  staff.  His  thigh  boots  he  had  no  need  to  pull  up, 
as  most  men  do  when  taking  to  a  swamp,  for  they 
fitted  his  powerful  thighs  like  the  skin.     His  lumber- 


HE  MADE  A  FINE  PICTURE  AS  HE  CAME  STRIDING  ALONG. 
212 


TWO  TYPICAL  MOUNTAINEERS  213 

man's  blanket  coat  of  strange  glaring-  colors  was 
held  closely  about  his  waist  by  the  leather  cartridge 
belt,  from  which  hung  his  big  Colt  45  revolver,  also 
several  ducks.  His  flannel  shirt  was  open  at  the 
neck,  displaying  a  throat  shapely  as  a  woman's. 
From  under  his  close-cropped  mustache,  his  smile  of 
welcome  showed  teeth  white  as  milk,  while  that 
smile  shone  in  the  great  blue  eyes  that  looked  out 
from  under  his  brown  slouch  hat. 

"Wiegeht's,  all!  Just  pick  up  those  birds  for  me. 
You  compelled  me  to  make  a  long  shot,  for  those 
mallards  were  growing  restless,  but  I  got  a  head  and 
a  neck.  That  head  I  tried  to  line  with  a  neck,  but 
though  holding  very  line  I  hardly  expected  to  get  it. 
Just  a  lucky  shot,  that's  all."  He  fastened  the  two 
mallards  with  the  other  birds  at  his  belt,  and  sling- 
ing a  hundred  pounds  or  more  of  Rex's  luggage  on 
his  shoulder,  leaped  from  hummock  to  hummock 
back  across  the  swale  to  firmer  ground,  calling  first, 
"Nell!  Here,  Nell!"  and  then,  l'Fan!  O  Fan!" 
There  was  a  movement  in  the  brush,  and  ambling 
slowly  toward  him  came  a  pair  of  black  mares,  as 
deliberate  as  a  pair  of  cows.  Rex's  luggage  was 
mainly  in  a  long  sleeping-bag  or  sack,  and  dividing 
the  load  to  each  end,  Peroux  put  the  sack  across 
Nell's  back,  and,  picking  up  his  rifle,  announced 
himself  ready  for  the  trail.  He  was  evidently  disap- 
pointed that  the  whole  boat  load  could  not  become 
his  guests,  but  shook  hands  with  each  in  his  courteous 
way,  and  invited  them  to  come  and  see  him  when 
possible.  Then  walking  beside  Nell,  they  took  the 
trail,  Fan  following  sleepily  after,  stumbling  over 


214 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


the  "corduroy"  in  the  mudd)^  places  as  if  she  were 
thirty  years  old  instead  of  six.  "Come  on,  Fan! 
You  old  cow!"  Peroux  shouted.  "Just  watch  her, 
will  you?  If  I  was  on  her  back,  you'd  think  she  was 
on  springs.  I've  known  her  to  run  half  the  way 
home,  when  I  had  an  armful  of  grub  and  other  truck, 
and  couldn'thold  her.  Now,  she'll  sleep  all  the  way 
up  the  trail. " 

Fan  opened  one  eye  to  glance  at  him,  and  then 
closing  it  again,  sleepily  stumbled  on.  On  the  east- 
ern shore  of  the  canal  there  had  been  no  snow,  and 
on  this  western  shore  there  was  none  along  the 
beach,  nor  for  a  mile  back,  but  as  they  journeyed 
up  the  trail,  they  found  after  the  first  mile  a  few 
inches  of  it,  and  farther  back,  several  feet.  To  the 
left  the  river  roared,  its  foam  occasionally  showing 
white  and  sparkling  between  the  great  tree  trunks. 
Close  to  the  right  the  mountain  ridge  between  the 
Ducquebush  and  Doseewallops  reared  its  forest- 
covered  back,  while  along  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
another  range,  fully  as  high,  seemed  to  pierce  the 
clouds.  On  every  side  was  the  sound  of  roaring  waters. 
When  the  wind  is  in  the  east,  the  great  fog  banks 
will  roll  up  against  the  mountains  farther  inland, 
and  snow  will  fall  faster  than  in  almost  any  other 
place  on  earth.  It  may  fall  to  a  depth  of  six  or  eight 
feet,  damp  and  clinging.  Then  the  wind  will  swing 
to  the  west,  and  back  over  the  mountain  gap,  where 
the  river  seems  to  rise,  will  pour  other  and  blacker 
clouds.  One  would  think  that  these  would  be  colder, 
and  that  frozen  snow  would  now  fall,  but  not  so. 
Warmed  by  the  winds  from  the  Japan  current,  they 


TWO  TYPICAL  MOUNTAINEERS  215 

remain  so  until  they  reach  the  eastern  slope  again, 
but  in  passing  the  snow-ridge,  the  coolness  causes 
them  to  discharge  great  quantities  of  rain.  The 
blanket  of  snow  so  recently  fallen  begins  to  settle, 
and  on  all  sides  is  heard  the  muffled  fall  from  tree 
tops,  or  the  mighty  rumble,  crash  and  roar  of 
mingled  snow  and  landslides  from  the  sides  of  the 
precipitous  mountains.  The  rills  adown  these 
mountain  sides  become  raging  torrents,  and  the 
Ducquebush  tears  through  its  canons  with  a  subter- 
ranean roar  that  reminds  one  of  a  coming  earth- 
quake. There  are  few  inhabitants  in  the  Ducquebush 
valley.  When  some  lumber  camp  is  in  operation 
there  may  be  a  population  of  thirty,  including  resi- 
dents along  the  beach,  but  ordinarily  less  than  a 
score.  The  Ducquebush  is  absolutely  without  navi- 
gation unless  its  monster  trout  and  salmon  can  be 
called  navigators.  They  can  and  do  force  their 
way  a  few  miles  up,  their  flashing  sides  being  seen 
amost  any  bright  day,  as  they  leap  its  waterfalls  or 
force  their  way  through  its  rushing  rifts.  No  boat 
could  live  in  it  anywhere  a  mile  from  the  coast. 
Even  a  saw-log  is  frayed  and  battered  at  the  ends 
after  coming  down  three  miles.  There  are  places, 
many  of  them  not  ten  miles  up,  where  a  stick  four 
feet  long  could  not  get  through  until  dashed  into 
slivers  by  the  awful  force  of  the  waters.  Yet  the 
trout  and  salmon-trout  make  their  way  up  several 
miles  from  the  sea,  and  where  they  give  up  the 
attempt  the  smaller  mountain  trout  take  up  the 
struggle  and  thrive,  until,  all  things  considered,  the 
strearn  can  be  safely  set  down  as  one  of  the  richest 


216        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

fishing  streams  in  the  world.  Trout  are  taken  from 
it  both  winter  and  summer,  weighing-  all  the  way 
from  one  to  twenty  pounds,  and  of  unsurpassed 
flavor.  They  are  rather  capricious  of  appetite,  but 
when  they  are  hungry  any  ordinary  fisherman  can 
take  a  back  load  in  an  hour  or  two,  if  he  has  tackle 
and  skill  enough  to  land  them.  A  photograph  of 
ten  out  of  a  catch  of  175  pounds  has  been  illustrated 
in  several  eastern  sporting  papers,  and  set  down  by 
people  generally  as  a  fisherman's  fake,  but  it  was 
not,  nor  was  it  even  more  than  ordinary,  as  any  one 
who  has  visited  this  region  can  testify.  But  Rex 
was  not  after  fish.  Game,  big  game,  was  on  his 
mind,  and  beguiled  by  Peroux's  pleasant  conversa- 
tion, he  found  the  hard  journey  through  the  deep 
snow  not  at  all  unpleasant. 

It  was  yet  early  morning  when  they  turned  from 
the  trail  into  a  little  clearing  which,  in  this  growth 
of  lofty  timber,  looked  almost  like  a  well.  In  the 
center  of  the  clearing  was  Peroux's  cabin,  10x12 
feet,  with  a  lean-to;  from  its  stovepipe  chimney 
smoke  lazily  rolled  out  into  the  humid  atmosphere. 
Near  the  cabin  was  a  shake  barn,  into  which  Fan 
found  her  way,  but  Nell  knew  enough  to  bear  her 
load  up  to  the  door  of  the  cabin,  from  which  Berg- 
man, a  smiling,  stalwart  Swede,  strode  forth  in 
wooden  shoes  to  greet  them. 

"Where's  Perry?"  called  out  Peroux. 

"He  be  out  honting,  I  gaas.  Yoost  a  meenit  ago 
Meester  Perry  he  coom  runnin'  in,  an'  say  noteeng, 
but  tak  down  Oncle  Sam,  He  go  that  way,  an'  I 
think ,? 


TWO  TYPICAL  MOUNTAINEERS 


17 


"Boom!"  sounded  a  heavy  gun,  apparently  on  the 
mountain  side,  two  thousand  feet  or  more  above 
their  heads  and  not  a  mile  distant,  while  up  the 
narrow  valley  rolled  the  echoes. 

" He  got   soom  game,"    finished  the   Swede, 

who  had  held  his  breath  from  the  second  of  the 
interruption.  Peroux  kept  on  unpacking  and  said 
nothing.  A  few  minutes  later  there  was  a  sound  of 
falling  dirt  and  a  cracking  in  the  brush  up  the 
mountain  side,  when  Peroux  remarked:  "I  guess 
that's  him.  He's  sliding  along  down.  Must  be  he's 
got  something."  Fifteen  minutes  later  Perry  wal- 
lowed into  the  clearing,  a  two  hundred  pound  buck 
across  his  back.  He  had  opened  the  animal  and 
removed  its  entrails,  thus  lightening  it  as  much 
as  possible,  but  it  was  still  a  large  load  for  a  short 
man  in  deep  snow,  and  he  was  sweating  like  a 
horse. 

"You  will  kill  deer  an'  pack  'em  in,  will  you? 
Good  enough  for  you.  You  ought  to  sweat.  Drop 
your  load  an'  come  up  an'  shake  hands  with  Mr. 
Wayland,"  called  out  Peroux.  Perry  came  forward, 
trailing  his  45-90  vSpringfield  through  the  snow,  and 
Rex  was  soon  aware  that  the  little  man  had  enough 
strength  left  to  nearly  crack  the  bones  of  his  hand. 
Perry  was  short — "about  carbine  length,"  as  Peroux 
expressed  it — but  he  was  stocky,  and,  though  thin 
in  flesh,  weighed  about  one  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds.  His  eyes  were  black  and  glittering,  and 
his  face  like  Peroux's — clean-shaven,  except  for  a 
mustache.  This,  unlike  Peroux's  close-cropped  tuft, 
was  long,  thick  and  very  black.      Perry  was  not  yet 


218        REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

forty,  and  was  in  the  very  prime  of  his  powers, 
as  woodsman,  trapper,  and  fisherman.  With  his 
hat  on  he  looked  even  younger  than  Peroux, 
but  this  removed  he  looked  older,  for  the  reason 
that,  while  Perry's  hair  was  a  trifle  thin  about 
the  temples,  Peroux 's  tawny  pompadour,  thick  as 
an  elk's  mane,  stood -  up  like  that  of  the  typical 
German  student,  seemingly  adding  to  his  lofty 
stature. 

Perry  had  been  a  professional  fisherman  for  years  on 
the  Columbia  before  the  hard  times  drove  him  up 
into  the  mountains;  many  will  remember  him  as  one 
of  the  most  clever  woodsmen  and  fishermen  ever 
met.  Like  Peroux,  he  was  the  very  soul  of  honor, 
generous  to  a  fault,  and  had  not  a  single  bad  habit, 
not  even  using  tobacco.  He  was  absolutely  fear- 
less, and  as  long  as  he  lives  the  "bad  man"  who 
"tangles"  with  him  will  either  take  a  back  seat,  kill 
him,  or  be  killed. 

Peroux,  though  thirty-three  years  of  age,  was  a 
bachelor,  and  Rex  could  but  notice  how  handily 
he  did  the  work  about  the  cabin.  Perry  was  also  a 
bachelor,  and,  if  anything,  handier  than  Peroux, 
being  able  to  cook  and  bake  quickly  and  well,  either 
over  a  cabin  stove  or  about  a  camp  fire.  The  Swede 
was  the  stand-by  of  the  two  for  housework,  but  when 
they  wished  to  do  honor  to  a  guest,  as  was  the  case 
now,  Peroux  entertained,  while  Perry  brewed, 
baked,  boiled,  or  fried.  Such  a  dinner  as  was  that  first 
one  Rex  ate!  He  had  never  been  so  hungry  before, 
and  victuals  had  never  tasted  better.  He  was  soon 
to  find,  however,  that  there  are  grades,  even  to  an 


TWO  TYPICAL  MOUNTAINEERS 


219 


enormous  appetite,  and  that  the  man  who  goes 
mountain  climbing  eats  more  than  the  plainsman, 
or  even  the  man  along  shore.  It  was  decided  that 
they  should  start  up  the  river  the  next  morning  at 
as  early  an  hour  as  they  could  see,  and  they  began 
to  make  preparations  immediately  after  dinner. 
They  expected  to  be  out  a  week,  or  near  it,  and  must 
pack  blankets,  provisions  and  a  small  tent.  While 
Peroux  and  Perry  could  each  pack  at  least  a  hundred 
pounds,  they  knew  that  Rex,  a  tenderfoot,  would  do 
well  if  he  carried  sixty.  They  therefore  estimated 
the  pack  at  two  hundred  and  sixty,  and  set  to  work. 
Tent,  blankets,  cooking  utensils  and  a  change  of  cloth- 
ing weighed  nearly  one  hundred,  and  were  quite 
bulky.  Beans,  flour  mixed  with  baking  powder, 
potatoes  fried  in  fat  and  put  in  tin  cans,  coffee, 
sugar,  oatmeal,  rice,  pepper,  salt,  bacon,  etc., 
weighed  about  one  hundred  pounds  more.  Then 
there  was  a  bear-trap  weighing  about  forty  pounds, 
three  smaller  weighing  about  ten  each,  and 
twenty  pounds  of  venison  from  the  less  choice 
portions,  which  they  intended  to  use  as  bait  for  the 
traps. 

When  these  preparations  were  concluded,  it  was 
nearly  dark,  and  they  gathered  round  for  supper  and 
yarns.  The  meal  dispatched,  every  man  leaned  back 
in  his  chair,  and  story  telling  began,  while  the  Swede 
cleared  the  table  and  washed  the  dishes.  Perry  and 
Peroux  had  each  seen  much  of  rough  life  on  the 
plains  and  in  the  mountains,  and  an  evening  with 
them  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  There  was  no 
boasting,  only  the  plain  narration  o£  such  adventures 


220        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE. 

as  thrilled.  Even  the  stolid  Swede  grew  excited, 
and,  pausing  with  dish  in  one  hand  and  dishcloth 
in  the  other,  listened,  his  mouth  open  and  his 
great  white  eyes  bulging. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

packing  in  the  mountains — perry  prods  a  tender- 
foot 

The  first  day  of  packing  in  the  mountains  is  quite 
likely  to  impress  itself  on  a  tenderfoot's  mind. 
The  packs  Rex,  Perry  and  Peroux  carried  were  made 
up  in  gunny  sacks,  great  care  having  been  taken  to 
so  pack  the  hard  articles  that  the  folds  of  blanket  or 
tent  cloth  would  come  between  them  and  the  back. 

The  pack  straps,  which  were  of  strips  of  gunny 
sack  folded  broadly,  seemed  easy  on  the  carrier  at 
the  start,  but  within  an  hour  Rex  felt  as  if  his 
shoulders  were  being  torn  off,  while  his  shoulder- 
blades  were  rubbing  together  with  a  keen  and  con- 
stant pain.  He  wondered  how  his  companions  could 
stand  such  torture,  but  later  learned  by  experience 
that  to  one  accustomed  to  the  work  such  a  pack  has 
absolutely  no  terrors.  It  is  astonishing  how  soon 
one  becomes  accustomed  to  the  strain.  An  experi- 
enced mountaineer,  a  man  of  ordinary  weight,  will 
sometimes  pack  half  a  horse  load,  or  near  it,  and 
that,  too,  for  ten  or  twelve  hours  a  day.  To  be  more 
exact,  a  large  pack  horse  will  pack  three  hundred 
pounds  over  a  fair  trail,  and  a  small  one,  or  cayuse, 
two  hundred  pounds.  The  rough  work  they  will 
cheerfully  endure,  the  logs  and  rocks  they  will  jump 
or  scramble  over  are  astonishing.  A  good  carrier 
will  pack  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  pounds 


222         REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

if  he  be  a  man  of  moderate  size,  but  there  are 
giants  among  these  fellows  who  will  pack  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred. 

The  articles  to  be  packed  are  first  collected.  Then 
a  gunny  sack  is  held  mouth  open  by  one  man,  while 
another  folds  a  blanket  the  long  way  and  from  one 
to  two  feet  wide.  Placing  his  hand  in  the  middle  of 
this  blanket  thus  folded,  he  thrusts  it  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  sack,  leaving  the  ends  sticking  out 
about  a  foot  on  each  side  of  its  mouth.  Another 
blanket  similarly  folded  is  pushed  down  across  this, 
the  ends  sticking  out  at  the  other  two  sides  of  the 
sack.  Next  comes  a  can  of  coffee  or  sugar  or  some 
other  hard  article,  which  is  pushed  well  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  sack  on  top  of  the  blankets.  Then 
another  and  another,  until  the  sack  is  nearly  full 
and  solidly  packed.  The  ends  of  the  blankets  are 
then  brought  over  and  carefully  tucked  in.  Next, 
with  a  sharp  stick  and  a  string,  the  top  of  the  sack 
is  laced  shut.  A  strong  strap  is  now  buckled  round 
the  sack  at  each  end  about  a  half-foot  in  toward  the 
center.  Hooped  through  each  strap  lengthwise  of 
the  sack  are  two  broad  bands  or  hoops  of  gunny 
sack.  The  pack  is  next  set  up  on  a  rock  or  log  and 
the  packman,  putting  a  hand  through  either  band, 
proceeds  to  wriggle  and  twist  himself  until  he  has 
worked  one  band  well  onto  each  shoulder.  Then 
he  rises  to  his  feet,  gives  himself  a  shake,  settling  the 
sack  well  down  on  his  hips  and,  grasping  his  rifle 
as  a  counterbalance,  is  ready  for  a  tramp  or  climb. 
He  usually  travels  in  a  half  bent  posture,  and  some 
packmen  prefer  to  wear  what  is  known  as  a  turning 


CROSSING  THE  MOUNTAINS  WITH  A  PACK. 


224 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


strap  (a  band  about  the  forehead)  to  help  bear  the 
strain  of  the  load.  Before  starting,  every  ounce  of 
superfluous  clothing-  has  been  removed,  no  matter 
how  cold  the  weather,  and  even  then  the  packman 
sweats  as  he  has  not  perspired  before  since  he  car- 
ried his  last  pack. 

There  was  no  trail  up  the  Ducquebush  River  for 
any  great  distance  beyond  Peroux's  cabin,  except  a 
game  trail,  and  that  was  not  clearly  defined.  A 
game  trail  is  the  path  made  by  elk,  deer  or  bear, 
and  while  it  may  be  well  worn  in  certain  places,  in 
others  entirely  disappears.  It  will  therefore  be  seen 
that  a  game  trail  is  but  a  trifle  better  than  the  path- 
less woods.  A  Puget  Sound  forest  is  as  near  the 
impenetrable  in  places  as  any  on  earth.  The  Cuban 
machete  would  be  put  to  a  severe  test  in  removing 
its  vine  maple,  devil's  club  or  sallal.  The  Ducque- 
bush River  valley  is  practically  impassable  for  man 
or  horse.  In  fact,  three  men  could  not  in  two 
months  cut  and  make  a  horse  pack  trail  twelve  miles 
up  this  valley  from  the  sound.  Very  few  men  had 
ever  penetrated  this  region  a  distance  of  fifteen  or 
sixteen  miles,  as  Peroux,  Perry  and  Rex  now  pro- 
posed doing.  To  follow  the  river  was  impossible, 
for  jutting  rocks,  deep  canons,  projecting  and 
overhanging  vine  maple  and  other  obstructions 
absolutely  prevented  progress.  They  must  take  to 
the  side  of  the  mountains,  and  clamber  along  as  best 
they  could,  ploughing  through  deep  snow,  fording 
swollen  runs,  scrambling  under  and  over  logs,  and 
pickingthe  way  along  the  face  of  precipices.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  they  consumed  fully  ten  hours  in  mak- 


PACKING  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  22- 

ing  that  twelve  miles?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  sturdy 
Rex,  even  with  his  light  pack,  was  nearly  dead  with 
fatigue  when  they  paused  soon  after  dark  on  a  grassy 
knoll,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  gloomy,  tower- 
ing forest? 

That  they  were  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  more 
lofty  than  its  fellows,  more  precipitous  and  with 
less  snow  except  at  its  top,  which  had  been  the 
greater  portion  of  the  afternoon  above  the  clouds, 
Rex  well  knew,  for  he  had  noted  it  as  they 
approached.  Now  the  moon  had  risen,  and  seemed 
sailing  along  the  broken  ridge,  straight  toward  the 
west.  As  it  came  nearer,  its  pure  beams  illuminated 
and  colored  an  ivory  tint  a  mighty  waterfall,  which 
fell  sheer  eight  hundred  feet  from  the  northern  sky 
line.  That  the  roaring  river  was  far  beneath  Rex 
knew  also,  for  occasionally,  as  the  circling  winds 
swept  down  from  the  west,  the  tremendous  thunder 
of  the  waterfall  ceased  in  part,  while  up  from  far 
below  came  roars,  wailings,  and  clouds  of  mist, 
which  last  in  the  bright  moonlight  made  fanciful 
shadows  on  the  face  of  the  awful  precipice  opposite. 
He  was  too  tired  to  ask  questions,  and,  lying  there 
on  the  frozen  ground,  nearly  fell  asleep,  even  while 
looking  and  listening. 

Perry  had  broken  off  some  spruce  splinters  as  they 
,came  along,  and  he  now  busied  himself  in  starting  a 
fire.  He  had  built  it  close  to  a  huge  rock,  and  with 
a  hatchet  he  now  hewed  off  pieces  of  green  fir  bark, 
which  burned  readily  and  with  a  heat  greater  than 
that  of  wood  or  coal.  In  a  half-hour,  Perry,  by  the 
use  of  a  handspike,  had  pried  off  enough  bark  to  last 


226        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

all  night,  and  Peroux  had  prepared  supper.  Their 
noonday  meal  had  been  only  a  cold  lunch,  and  it 
seemed  to  Rex  as  if  he  had  never  tasted  anything  so 
good  as  the  hot  coffee,  dough-gads  and  butter  and 
beans  now  given  him.  Having  eaten,  he  fell  asleep 
on  the  blankets,  and  the  pair,  realizing  his  condition 
of  exhaustion,  put  up  the  tent  over  him. 

"Better  wake  him  up.  He'll  ketch  cold  there," 
said  Perry. 

"Yes;  raise  him  one.  He  ought  to  roll  up  better 
than  that  before  he  sleeps."  Perry  thereupon 
"raised  him  one"  with  a  packstrap,  and  smarting, 
Rex  sat  up  and  rubbed  his  eyes. 

"Morning  yet?"  he  inquired.  "Must  be,  for  I'm 
hungry." 

"Hungry,  eh?  and  not  two  hours  past  supper. 
Your  stomach's  all  right.  You'll  stand  the  racket," 
laughed  Peroux.     Rex  advanced  to  the  fire,  yawning. 

"Any  snakes  round  here?"  he  enquired,  as  he 
rolled  up  in  his  blanket  and  stretched  out.  He  did 
not  see  Perry  wink  at  Peroux,  and  almost  instantly 
forgot  that  no  one  had  answered  his  question, 
because  of  a  snake  story  Perry  began  to  tell. 

"Speakin'  o'  snakes,  makes  me  think  of  an  experi- 
ence o'  mine.  One  night,  arter  a  hard  day's  chase 
arter  strays — hosses,  they  was — I  camped  down  in  a 
place  summat  like  this,  an'  havin'  no  supper,  ner 
stuff  fer  it,  I  jest  tethered  my  kyuse  an'  rolled  up 
in  my  blanket,  Nez  Perce  fashion.  I  rolled  right 
under  the  ledge  fer  warmth,  an'  jest  nacherly 
dropped  off.  I  dunno  how  long  I  slep',  but  I  was 
waked  up  byfeelin'  suthin'  heavy  crawlin'  'cross  my 


PACKING  IX  THE  MOUNTAINS  22j 

legs  outside  the  blanket.  Then  I  heerd  a  faint  rat- 
tle, an'  the  chills  began  perambylatin'  up  an'  down 
my  backbone  marrer.  But  I  lay.  Fer  why?  I 
dassent  stir.  Jest  then  another — this  time  a  whop- 
per, wriggled  along  over  my  middle,  an'  afore  he 
got  off  me,  another  went  'crost  my  shoulders,  so 
near  I  smelt  the  cuss.  But  that  wusn't  the  wust  of 
it.  I  lay  with  my  back  to  the  rock,  my  ole  hat 
pulled  down  well  behind  an'  turned  up  in  front  so's 
I  cud  breathe.  I  wuzn't  breathin'  very  heavy,  how- 
ever. Then  I  felt  one  start  across  the  back  o'  my 
head,  outside  my  hat.  That  feller  was  a  whale,  an' 
I  reckon  he  must  'a  ben  a  mile  long,  more  or  less. 
Anyhow,  he  went  slow  an'  right  acrosst  the  side  o' 
my  bare  forrard,  where  the  hat  was  rolled  up.  As 
he  went,  I  helt  my  breath,  but  I  found  myself 
a-sayin'  in  my  mind  that  ole  rule,  'Twelve  inches 
make  one  foot;  three  foot  one  yard;'  and  so  on. 
What'd  I  do  then?  Why!  what  could  I  do  but  git 
out  o'  that?  I  knowed  there  was  a  clean  drop  o'  one 
hundred  and  fifty  foot  right  off  about  twenty  or 
thirty  foot  from  the  face  o'  the  ledge  I  was  layin' 
aginst — I  was  sleepin'  on  a  bench,  ye  see,  an'  I  kalker- 
lated  to  start  ezfur  to'rd  that  as  I  dared,  then  scrab- 
ble to  my  feet  an'  skin  out.  My  body  hed  warmed  up 
a  snakes'  nest,  an'  that  they  was  all  round  me,  I  wuz 
sure.  Well!  I  pulled  up  my  blankit,  an'  with  a 
short  prayer,  as  the  story  writers  say,  I  started 
rolled  as  fur  as  I  dared  over  snakes  an'  everything 
an'  then,  kickin'  loose  from  that  there  blankit,  I  run 
like  a  whitehead  fur  my  kyuse.  He  was  snortin'  an' 
pullin'  at  his  tether.     I  cut  him  loose,   scrambled 


22g  REX  WAYLANDS  FORTUNE 

onto  his  back,  an'  let  him  go,  an'  when  he'd  gone 
fur  enough,  so  I  thought  we  was  safe,  I  stopped  him 
an'  set  on  him  till  daylight.  I  wuzn't  sleepy  nur 
nothin' — you  bet!" 

As  Perry  finished  his  story,  Rex  began  to  feel 
uneasy.  Peroux,  who  was  rolled  up  in  his  blanket, 
was  apparently  in  a  deep  reverie.  Rex  looked 
expectantly  at  him,  awaiting  the  story  that  always 
followed  an  effort  from  Perry.  But  he  waited  in 
vain.  Once  Peroux  opened  his  mouth,  but  again 
shut  it  as  if  at  a  loss  to  know  just  how  to  begin.  At 
this  instant  Rex  felt  something  wriggle  right  under 
him,  and  bounding  like  a  rubber  ball,  finally 
scrambled  to  his  feet  to  find  both  Perry  and  Peroux 
shaking  with  laughter.  The  former  had  a  long  stick 
in  his  hand,  with  which  he  had  been  prodding  the 
tenderfoot,  after  filling  him  full  of  his  snake  story. 
Rex's  face  had  been  white  as  milk,  but  it  now 
became  red  with  shame  and  anger,  as  running  over 
he  kicked  Perry  two  or  three  times,  the  latter  mak- 
ing no  resistance,  but  laughing  until  he  could  not 
sit  up. 

"Was  that  snake  story  all  a  lie,  Perry?" 

"No,  sir!  True  as  preachin',"  gasped  Perry,  and 
then  he  rolled  over  and  over  in  an  ecstasy  of  mirth. 

"Where  and  when  did  it  happen?  Anywhere 
about  here?" 

"No!  no!  Good  land,  no!  There  ain't  any  snakes 
this  side  o'  the  Cascades.  That  what  I  was  a-tellin' 
happened  over  in  the  Yakima  country,  where  they're 
thicker'n  smelt  in  a  school." 

Perry  and  Peroux  now  told  other  stories,  but  all 


PACKING  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  229 

the  evening  they  were  full  of  tickle  at  nothing, 
breaking  out  frequently,  and  Rex,  losing  his  anger 
and  realizing  the  harmless  fun  in  the  joke,  even 
though  it  was  at  his  expense,  laughed  too.  Finally 
all  rolled  up  in  blankets  and  slept  the  sweet  slee^ 
of  extreme  weariness. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS PEROUX's  WONDERFUL 

NERVE REX  GETS  AN  ELK 

It  was  a  weird  place  where  our  three  hunters  slept 
that  night,  and  hardly  a  safe  place  for  sleep-walkers, 
as  Rex  found  when  they  awoke  the  next  morning'. 
As  he  lay  there  after  opening  his  eyes,  the  daylight 
was  slowly  settling  down  from  the  peaks  about  him, 
though  he  and  all  about  the  camp  were  as  yet  in 
gloom.  The  fire  had  died  down  somewhat,  and 
must  have  been  entirely  out  but  for  the  care  of 
Peroux  and  Perry,  for  Rex  knew  that  his  own  slum- 
ber had  been  unbroken.  There  was  a  goodly  quantity 
of  bark  lying  near,  and  getting  up  carefully,  so  as 
not  to  disturb  his  companions,  he  threw  some  on  the 
hot  coals.  He  was  about  to  lie  down  again,  when  he 
saw  a  movement  in  the  brush,  about  forty  yards 
distant,  and  grasped  his  rifle.  But  the  object  did 
not  show  itself.  Once  he  fancied  he  detected  the 
gleam  of  a  great  pair  of  yellow  eyes,  but  could  not 
distinguish  the  outlines  of  a  head,  and  did  not  care 
to  fire  for  fear  of  ridicule. 

Daylight  was  now  fast  coming  on,  and  the  stars 
which  had  lingered  in  the  blue  vault  above  began  to 
grow  faint  and  yet  fainter,  and  finally  faded  away 
altogether.  Rex  now  got  up  and  began  looking 
about  him. 

Their  camp  was  on  a  plateau  of  half  an  acre — a 

230 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS      2^i 

bench  of  the  mountain  to  the  northwest — covered 
with  yellow  bunch  grass.  The  mountain  was 
almost  devoid  of  timber,  except  here  and  there  a 
bunch  or  strip  extending  up  some  slanting  run. 
And  what  a  mountain  it  was!  How  gray  and 
grandly  terrible  its  bare,  rocky  ledges  looked  in  the 
early  morning!  They  suggested  the  massive  battle- 
ments of  some  lofty  fortress,  only  no  fortress  was 
ever  constructed  five  thousand  feet  or  a  mile  high. 
The  big  bottom  they  had  entered  at  four  o'clock  of 
yesterday  was  far  below  their  camp,  and  the  tops  of 
its  immense  growth  of  fir  looked  like  a  piece  of 
plush.  To  the  right  and  far  below,  he  could  see 
something  white — a  long,  narrow,  zigzag  streak, 
and  this  he  soon  recognized  as  the  rushing  river. 
It  showed  itself  in  other  places  far  down  toward  the 
sound,  and  he  now  realized  that  what  he  had  at  first 
taken  for  a  strip  of  fog  or  cloud  was  in  reality  the 
canal  away  out  opposite  Seabeck,  twenty-five  miles 
distant.  "The  Seabeck  people  may  have  seen  our 
campfire  last  night,"  he  muttered. 

"No,  they  didn't,  fer  'twas  cloudy  till  long  after 
midnight — cloudy  down  below  and  clear  up  here." 
Rex  turned  with  a  start,  and  saw  Perry's  bright 
black  eyes  wide  open,  that  individual  having  awak- 
ened without  a  stir.  "Jest  crawl  out  back  o'  the  fire 
thar  a  hundred  yards,  an'  peek  over.  Be  keerful  an' 
don't  roll  off,  fer  it's  a  drop,  I  tell  ye." 

Rex  did  as  he  was  told,  and  hanging  hard  on  a 
sturdy  scrub  pine,  peered  down  into  the  most  awful 
depth  he  had  ever  seen.  Apparently  a  half-mile 
or  more    sheer  down,   he  could  faintly  distinguish 


HOW  GRAY  AND  GRANDLY  TERRIBLE  IT  LOOKED. 
233 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS 


233 


the  foaming,  roaring  river.  At  times  its  mists 
entirely  obscured  it  and  rolled  up  about  his  head  like 
steam  from  some  vast  cauldron,  but  again,  as  the 
soughing  winds  swept  through,  the  view  was  clear 
and  such  as  to  cause  one  unused  to  such  scenes  to 
shudder.  Though  he  did  not  know  it,  Rex  was 
gazing  down  one  of  the  most  stupendous  precipices 
in  all  America.  After  a  last  long  look,  he  reached 
behind  him,  took  a  firm  hold  on  the  tree  with  the 
other  hand  and  carefully  withdrew  from  the  brink. 
After  crawling  away  on  his  hands  and  knees,  he 
finally  arose  and  ran  to  the  fire,  to  find  Peroux  awake 
and  Perry  busy  preparing  breakfast.  As  they 
cooked  and  ate,  the)'  talked  and  laid  plans  for  the  day. 

"I  kalkerlate  they's  a  band  o'  elk  on  some  o'  the 
benches  o'  this  mountain,"  remarked  Perry,  "an' 
'fore  night  we'll  know.  I'm  goin'  to  crawl  up  over 
that  sky  line  within  four  or  five  hour,  an'  take  a 
squint  out  over  the  country.  Goin'  to  be  a  nice  day 
f er  it  too. ' ' 

"All  right!"  returned  Peroux.  "Rex  and  I  will 
go  out  to  the  ravine  up  back  of  the  bottom  down 
there,  and  crawl  up  to  the  gap  that  shows  yonder. 
If  we  don't  do  anything  better,  we  may  get  a  crack 
at  a  whistling  pig. " 

"A  whistling  pig?  What  are  they,  Mr.  Peroux? 
Do  wild  pigs  live  on  these  mountains?" 

"No,  Wayland.  Correctly  speaking,  they  are 
marmots.  There  is  a  band  of  them,  or  used  to  be, 
over  on  that  snow  peak  yonder;  and  there's  an  old 
crater  over  beyond,  that  is  now  a  small  lake,  and 
that  is  worth  a  climb  to  see." 


234 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


"A  crater?     And  have  you  ever  been  to  it?" 

"Oh,  yes;  two  or  three  times.  I  don't  believe  the 
thing  has  any  bottom.  It's  a  gloomy  looking  hole, 
about  two  hundred  yards  long  and  fifty  wide.  It 
lays  just  over  the  divide  on  the  other  slope." 

"Did  you  ever  see  any  great  elk  horns  there? — any 
big  ones?" 

"Don't  know  as  I  have.  I  presume,  though,  we 
might  find  some,  and  big  ones  too.  They're  all 
through  these  woods.  I  find  a  pair  or  a  single  one 
every  little  while,  though  I  never  pack  'em  down. 
They're  not  worth  it.  But  why  do  you  expect  to 
find  elk  horns  there?" 

Rex  felt  himself  blushing,  and  hardly  knew  what 
to  say.  Finally  he  answered,  "Why,  I've  heard  a 
yarn  about  a  monster  pair  of  horns  that  the  Indians 
hung  up  in  a  tree  once  near  such  a  crater,  and  I 
wanted  to  find  them,  that's  all." 

"A  case  of  the  pot  of  gold  at  the  end  of  a  rain- 
bow,"  laughed  Peroux.  "Well!  there  are  no  trees 
near  this  crater — above  the  tree  line,  ye  know, 
although  I  believe  there's  a  bunch  of  brush  at  one 
side  of  the  pond.  It's  a  bleak,  desolate  place,  but 
I  suppose  there  are  others  just  like  it  back  in  these 
hills.  I  never  met  anybody  that  had  found  them, 
though ;  but  then  neither  have  I  met  anybody  that 
had  rambled  about  much  in  this  region. ' ' 

After  breakfast,  the  provisions  were  all  put  in  a 
sack,  and  pulled  by  a  long  rope  up  over  the  end  of 
the  nearest  high  limb,  out  of  reach  of  wild  beasts, 
and  with  a  piece  of  bread  and  venison  in  their  pockets 
for  lunch,  the  three  left  camp  for  a  day's  climb. 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  235 

Peroux,  knowing  Rex  to  be  unused  to  such  work, 
took  him  with  him,  and  chose  an  easy,  or  compara- 
tively easy,  route,  while  Perry,  who  revelled  in 
dangerous  mountain  climbing,  went  alone  up  runs 
and  crevices  and  along  benches,  ever  higher  and 
higher,  until,  from  the  valley  below,  through  which 
Peroux  and  Rex  were  making  their  way,  he  looked 
like  a  fly  crawling  along  at  that  awful  height.  It 
was  nearly  nine  o'clock  when  Peroux  and  Rex,  hay- 
ing made  their  way  down  and  through  the  big  bot- 
tom, turned  sharply  to  the  north  and  passed  the 
mouth  of  the  small  ravine  mentioned  in  the  morn- 
ing. This  ravine  is  not  wide,  and  yet  one  of  the 
deepest,  wildest,  gloomiest  holes  in  all  these  moun- 
tains. 

To  the  southwest  of  it  runs  a  dirt  elk  trail,  zig- 
zagging up  a  slope  that  even  an  elk  could  not  climb 
except  by  the  trick  these  animals  have  of  turning 
first  to  the  right  and  then  to  the  left  about  every 
fifty  feet.  There  was  much  snow  in  the  bottom, 
but  on  the  wind-swept  and  sun-kissed  side  of  this 
exceedingly  steep  mountain  there  was  none,  except 
occasionally  a  patch  here  and  there  on  the  benches. 
They  peered  up  into  the  ravine  as  they  passed  its 
mouth.  Clouds  hung  over  it,  at  a  height  of  eight 
hundred  to  one  thousand  feet,  giving  it  almost  the 
appearance  of  a  cave,  so  far  as  light  was  concerned. 
It  was  indeed  a  gloomy  cavern,  and  they  did  not 
linger  long  about  its  damp  entrance,  but  struck 
straight  up  the  sharp  slope  to  the  northeast  toward 
the  divide.  It  took  three  hours  of  hard  climbing  to 
reach  the  crater  just  over  the  divide  on  the  Dosee- 


236 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


wallop's  side,  and  here  they  ate  their  dinner.  There 
were,  as  Peroux  had  said,  no  trees  near,  and  not 
much  to  see,  except  a  dark  cavern  of  unknown 
depth,  filled  with  water.  It  was  very  chilly  up  there, 
and  they  soon  commenced  climbing  up  to  the  divide 
and  down  the  other  side  again. 

They  had  reached  the  bottom,  and  were  slowly 
walking  along  between  the  great  tree  trunks,  from 
six  to  twelve  feet  in  diameter  and  of  tremendous 
height,  when  Peroux  whistled  softly  and  knelt  down. 
The  forest,  though  gloomy,  was  quite  open,  yet  Rex 
had  seen  nothing.  Not  so  with  Peroux,  who,  as  he 
sank  on  one  knee,  looked  like  a  statue.  Slowly — 
without  a  single  quick  motion,  he  raised  his  rifle. 

"It's  a  buck!"  whispered  Peroux.  "I  got  him 
right  back  o'  the  shoulder,  and  while  he  smells  us 
an'  maybe  sees  us,  he  thinks  we  can't  see  him,  and 
he  won't  break  cover.  Want  a  shot?  If  you  do, 
take  it  quick.      I'll  save  him  if  you  miss." 

"Let  him  have  it!"  whispered  Rex.  "I  can't  see 
anything."  As  he  spoke  Peroux's  rifle  cracked,  and 
out  from  the  deeper  shadow  sprang  a  big  buck,  to 
immediately  fall  and  lie  kicking  and  quivering  by 
turns;  a  38-55  bullet  having  passed  through  one  edge 
of  his  heart. 

"Wanted  you  to  have  that  shot,  but  couldn't 
wait,"  said  Peroux,  in  even  tones,  while  Rex  was 
so  excited  he  could  hardly  talk.  As  Peroux  knifed 
the  animal,  he  remarked:  "He's  ours.  Now,  while 
I  gut  him  and  pack  him  up  to  camp,  do  you  take  a 
ramble  out  around  through  this  snow  bottom  and 
see  if  you  can  discover  any  signs  of  elk.     If  any 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS      23 7 

have  crossed  the  river  within  two  or  three  miles, 
they've  gone  through  this  bottom.  Look  sharp,  and 
work  fast.  We've  only  an  hour  or  two  of  daylight 
down  here. " 

Off  to  the  south  Rex  could  hear  the  river  roaring, 
and  he  struck  across  the  flat  in  that  direction.  He 
soon  reached  the  river  and  began  working  along 
up-stream,  some  distance  back  from  the  water,  for 
it  was  impossible  to  travel  near  the  water's  edge. 
He  had  reached  a  point  not  more  than  five  hundred 
yards  from  the  great  gap  in  the  mountain,  where  the 
river  tore  its  way  through,  when  he  saw  in  the  snow 
a  sight  which  caused  his  heart  to  beat  fast.  There 
before  him  was  a  trail  as  broad  as  if  a  dozen  oxen 
had  tramped  along.  He  followed  it,  and  soon  found 
fresh  "signs,"  showing  that  the  animals  had  passed 
that  way  very  recently.  It  led  straight  toward  the 
first  bluff,  which,  bald  and  gray,  reared  its  head 
above  the  tree  tops,  and  he  soon  found  where  the 
herd  had  taken  to  a  bush-covered  run  and  worked 
up  to  the  first  bench,  which,  at  a  height  of  one 
thousand  feet  or  less,  seemed  to  run  along  the  side 
of  the  entire  mountain.  To  this  bench  he  and  his 
companions  had  ascended  by  way  of  a  run  some 
distance  back  northeast,  and  from  that  bench  by 
another  run  to  a  second  and  broader  bench,  where 
was  the  camp.  Running  along  this  first  bench  to 
this  second  run,  he  ascended  that  and  reached  camp 
just  at  nightfall,  to  find  both  Peroux  and  Perry  at 
work  preparing  supper  and  cutting  the  meat  off  the 
buck  Peroux  had  killed.  The  news  he  brought 
caused   considerable    excitement,   and  after  supper 


238  REX  WAY  LAND'S  FORTUNE 

they  laid  plans  for  the  hunt  on  the  morrow.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  elk,  led  by  a  big  bull,  whose  track 
was  an  inch  and  a  half  wider  than  Rex's  rifle  stock, 
had  gone  out  along  this  bench  after  coming  up  from 
the  river,  and  ascended  the  mountain.  The  next 
morning  Perry  was  to  go  out  to  the  summit  again, 
and  Peroux  and  Rex  were  to  work  their  way  up  the 
dirt  trail  to  the  left  of  the  ravine. 

The  following  morning  was  misty,  the  clouds 
hanging  low  over  the  valley  and  driven  up  it  by  a 
gentle  east  wind,  and  when  at  eight  o'clock  Peroux 
and  Rex  had  ascended  to  a  height  of  three  thousand 
feet  by  the  dirt  trail,  they  found  themselves  in 
clouds  so  thick  they  could  not  see  fifty  yards  ahead. 
On  all  fours  they  were  toiling  along  when  out  from 
the  mist  above  shot  a  boulder  as  big  as  a  small  wash- 
tub  and  went  tumbling  down  over  the  soft  earth 
trail,  missing  them  by  but  a  few  feet. 

"They're  above  lis  somewhere!"  whispered 
Peroux.  "Some  one  of  'em  rubbing  on  that  boulder 
has  started  it.  We're  on  the  right  trail,  but  we 
must  go  out  to  the  left  and  make  up  over  those 
benches.  Follow  me!"  and  he  darted  to  the  left. 
Rex  followed  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more,  on  a 
brisk  trot,  and  then  scrambled  up  an  almost  perpen- 
dicular run  after  Peroux  to  the  bench  above.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  agile  young  German  possessed  the 
powers  of  a  cat,  so  swiftly  and  quickly  did  he  go  up ; 
but  at  the  next  bench  he  paused,  and  leaning  over 
gave  Rex  a  helping  hand. 

"This  next  one's  a  tough  one,  but  we've  got  to 
make  it.     I'll  put  you  up  ahead,"  and  he  whirled 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS      539 

Rex  around,  facing  an  almost  perpendicular  wall  of 
rock,  up  which  ran  a  crevice,  about  the  shape,  size 
and  slant  of  a  very  steep  house  roof-gutter.  "Now! 
up  you  go!"  Rex  toiled  up  as  best  he  could  for 
several  hundred  feet,  every  minute  finding  this  run, 
in  which  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  bush,  shrub  or 
piece  of  moss,  growing  narrower  and  steeper. 
Luckily,  it  was  covered  on  both  sides  with  small 
knobs  about  the  size  of  a  goose  egg,  and  on  these  he 
set  his  toes  and  clung  to  them  with  his  fingers. 
Suddenly  he  noticed  that  the  wind  had  swept  the 
clouds  aside,  and  as  he  glanced  over  his  shoulder, 
saw  the  forest  apparently  almost  straight  down,  a 
mile  and  a  half  below. 

"Peroux!  I  can't  go  farther!"  he  gasped.  "Let's 
climb  down ! ' ' 

"Great  Guns,  man!  a  cat  couldn't  climb  down. 
We've  got  to  go  up.  Go  ahead!  Put  your  face 
close  to  the  rock  and  hang  on  hard;  I'll  place  your 
feet." 

Their  guns  were  fast  over  their  backs,  and  as  Rex 
glanced  down  between  his  own  knees  and  saw  the 
face  of  his  heroic  companion,  jaws  set  and  determi- 
nation in  every  lineament,  it  gave  him  new  courage. 
Suddenly  a  new  thought  struck  him,  and  he  nearly 
let  go,  so  sick  was  he  with  terror. 

"Mr.  Peroux,  suppose  this  crevice  ends  up  above 
us.  I  tell  you,  I'm  weak.  You'd  better  let  me 
tumble  back  over  your  head  and  save  yourself  if 
you  can. ' ' 

Peroux's  blue  eyes  fairly  blazed ;  and  there  in  that 
awful  predicament,  between  heaven  and  earth,  he 


246        REX  WAVLAND'S  FORTUNE 

yelled:  "Why,  man!  Where's  your  geology?  I 
studied  mine  before  I  came  out,  and  I  tell  you  these 
mountains  never  cooled  in  that  way.  These  crevices 
run  clear  tip,  and  there's  where  you're  going  if  I 
have  to  pack  you.  If  you  go  down,  I  go  with  you. 
Climb,  now,  and  no  more  squealing. 

Rex,  with  Peroux's  hands  clasped  about  his 
msteps,  did  climb,  and  in  twenty  minutes — it  seemed 
as  many  hours — lay  side  by  side  with  Peroux  on  a 
bench  above,  pale  and  panting.-  "I — I  wouldn't  do 
t — th — at  again  for  all  the  elk  in  Christendom,  Mr. 
Peroux. " 

"  'Twas  a  little  risky,"  Peroux  admitted,  with  a 
sickly  smile.  "Didn't  know  exactly  what  we  were 
getting  into.  We're  pretty  near  the  summit  of  the 
highest  mountain  round  here  now.  What  d'ye  think 
of  that  view?  Isn't  it  grand?"  And  the  young 
mountaineer  stood  with  dilated  nostrils  as  he  sur- 
veyed one  of  the  most  sublime  panoramas  in  all  that 
grand  country. 

At  their  feet,  her  benches  hidden  from  view,  fell 
off  the  mountain  for  five  thousand  feet  or  more,  to 
the  plateau  or  wide  bench  where  they  had  encamped. 
The  edges  of  the  two  thousand  foot  canon,  just 
beyond,  looked  like  a  seam  or  gash  in  the  rock,  and 
out  of  it  slowly  rose  the  mists,  like  steam  from  some 
subterranean  cauldron.  Where  the  mountains  fell 
away  to  the  east  again  the  river  appeared,  gushing 
forth,  white  with  foam,  but  so  far  below  that  its  roar 
came  up  faintly.  Round  a  low  mountain,  it  wound 
to  the  left  and  was  lost  for  a  few  miles.  Abreast  of 
this  mountain,  and  surging  up  against  it,  were  two 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS      2\l 

mighty  landslides,  from  the  higher  range.  These 
slides  were  three  miles  apart,  but  apparently  lay  side 
by  side,  their  slimy  soapstone  bottoms  gleaming 
yellow  and  ghastly  in  the  sunlight.  Between  them 
was  a  forest  of  deepest  green,  with  here  and  there  a 
protruding  rock.  Beyond  was  more  forest,  and  here 
and  there  a  loop  or  bend  of  the  glistening  river. 
Then  came  the  great  sound,  the  smoke  arising  from 
the  sites  of  Tacoma,  Seattle,  and  Everett,  and 
beyond  all  was  the  towering  Cascade  range,  snow-clad 
and  cloud-flecked.  They  had  forgotten  the  elk,  so 
absorbed  were  they  in  this  wild  panorama,  when, 
"Boom!"  came  the  report  of  a  rifle.  An  interval  of 
silence  followed,  except  for  the  echoes  rolling  along 
the  adjacent  ridges  and  between  the  crags.  Then 
again — "Boom!" 

"It's  Perry,  and  he's  let  Sam  off  twice.  Must  be 
the  band  of  elk,"  exclaimed  Peroux,  showing  more 
excitement  than  at  any  time  yet.  "Look  there! 
What's  that?"  he  continued,  excitedly  pointing 
through  the  cloud  banks  that  had  begun  to  roll  up 
again.  Rex  looked  and  beheld  a  sight  such  as  few 
people  have  ever  seen.  Just  out  beyond  them  began 
the  ravine,  which  seemed  to  have  in  part  cleft  this 
massive  upheaval.  Up  this  ravine,  the  clouds  were 
drifting,  the  jagged  rocks  on  the  other  side  showing 
through  here  and  there.  And  now,  in  the  midst  of 
these  clouds  and  apparently  walking  on  them,  in 
fact,  right  out  over  that  yawning  chasm,  appeared  a 
herd  of  gigantic  elk — gigantic,  because  ten  times 
larger  than  any  animal  on  earth.  Not  far  behind 
pursued   a   hunter   of   proportionate    size.      It   was 


242 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


Perry,  and  the  sun  and  clouds,  by  some  mystery  of 
reflection  or  refraction,  had  magnified  both  him  and 
the  game  he  hunted. 

The  clouds  now  rolled  up  thicker,  obscuring  the 
sun,  and  the  elk  were  hidden.  Evidently  they  were 
making  for  the  head  of  the  ravine  and  coming  north- 
east, straight  toward  Peroux  and  Rex.  Just  where 
they  would  come — whether  along  the  summit  or 
along  the  highest  bench,  on  which  they  were  stand- 
ing— it  was  hard  to  say.  "  It  was  hurriedly  agreed 
that  Peroux  should  climb  to  higher  ground,  while 
Rex  went  out  along  the  narrow  bench  which  ran 
round  the  precipice.  As  Peroux  clambered  up,  Rex 
made  his  way  along  through  the  thick  rolling  fog. 
In  places  the  bench  was  thirty  feet  wide,  but  in 
others  not  more  than  thirty  inches.  He  was  making 
his  way  round  a  point,  where  the  bench  was  cer- 
tainly not  more  than  three  feet  in  width,  when  just 
ahead  of  him,  from  out  of  the  fog,  rushed  a  gigantic, 
fiery-eyed  elk,  closely  followed  by  others.  Rex 
dodged  back  behind  the  point,  cocked  his  rifle,  and 
had  not  time  to  bring  it  to  his  shoulder  when  the 
animal  came  abreast  of  him.  With  the  muzzle 
almost  touching  its  great  mane,  Rex  fired.  That 
elk  never  made  the  turn,  but  pierced  through  with 
a  40-82  ball,  from  a  point  before  the  left  shoulder  to 
another  back  of  the  third  rib,  leaped  wildly  out  into 
the  fog,  over  that  cloud-covered  brink,  and  shot 
down  out  of  sight.  It  seemed  to  Rex  fully  thirty 
seconds  before  the  body  struck  with  a  sound  not 
unlike  that  of  a  bag  of  bones  on  the  cruel  rocks, 
and  then  went  clattering  on  down,  a  mile  or  more. 


AFTER  ELK  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS      243 

The  remainder  of  the  herd  never  paused,  but  went 
round  that  point  with  great  bounds  as  free  from 
fear  of  falling  as  if  on  level  bottom  far  below. 

"That's  the  way  to  get  big  game  down  off  the  side 
of  a  mountain,"  sang  out  Peroux.  As  he  reached 
the  point  where  Rex  stood,  still  trembling,  he  ex- 
claimed, "Lucky  for  you,  young  fellow,  you  had  that 
point  of  rock  to  dodge  behind,  else  you'd  gone  down 
before  the  bull.     Come  on!     Let's  get  out  of  this." 

They  found  the  elk,  a  mass  of  broken  bones  and 
battered  flesh,  lodged  on  a  bench,  at  least  three 
thousand  feet  below.  Perry,  who  had  wounded 
another  elk  twice,  but  failed  to  get  him,  joined  them 
within  an  hour  or  two,  and  helped  in  stripping  off 
the  good  meat  from  the  bones.  The  once  kingly 
antlers  were  a  wreck,  and  the  hide  was  so  full  of 
holes  as  to  be  of  no  value,  but  from  the  hind  quarters 
alone  they  stripped  off  over  three  hundred  pounds 
of  fine  meat,  which  it  took  them  all  the  next  day  to 
pack  down  to  Peroux' s  cabin. 

And  thus  ended  Rex's  first  elk  hunt. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

ANOTHER    HUNT    AND    A    BEAR TERRIFIC    BATTLE    WITH 

AN    ELK 

For  days  after  Rex  reached  home  he  shuddered 
whenever  he  thought  of  that  climb  above  the  clouds, 
but  later  a  longing  for  the  mountains  came  upon 
him.  and  within  two  weeks  he  found  himself  anxious 
for  another  trip,  such  is  the  fascination  of  this 
dangerous  sport.  While  in  peril  we  may  tremble 
and  inwardly  vow  never  to  run  such  risk  again.  For 
a  week  after,  perhaps,  we  may  remain  of  the  same 
mind,  but  sooner  or  later  the  longing  comes  back, 
and  yielding  to  it,  we  go  gladly,  perhaps  to  our 
death.  This  longing  at  the  end  of  two  weeks  fully 
possessed  Rex.  He  resisted  it  for  a  time,  and  kept 
doggedly  at  his  work,  but  one  day  a  letter  from 
Peroux  came  across  by  the  Delta  to  Seabeck,  and 
its  contents  swept  away  every  resolution.  The  boy 
yielded,  and  three  days  later  was  once  more  on  Bare 
Ledge  plateau,  encamped  with  his  former  compan- 
ions. 

They  had  left  Peroux' s  an  hour  earlier  than 
before,  and  knowing  the  trail  better  had  made  better 
time,  so  that  they  reached  camp  an  hour  before 
dark.  The  early  spring  had  now  come,  and  the  snow 
lying  on  the  bottom  below  the  canon  had  almost  dis- 
appeared.    In  the  patches  remaining  they  had  found 

244 


ANOTHER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR  24S 

elk,  bear  and  cat  tracks,  and  were  confident  that  bear 
had  come  out  from  their  winter  quarters.  Here  and 
there  they  found  fresh  scratches  on  the  "barberry" 
tree,  a  sure  sign  that  bear  were  on  the  range.  For 
the  benefit  of  those  who  do  not  understand  the 
habits  of  bear  in  these  regions,  the  following  expla- 
nation is  given : 

There  are  three  distinct  classes  of  bear  in  the 
Olympics;  and  all  seek  the  "barberry"  the  first  day 
after  leaving  winter  quarters.  The  scientific  name 
of  barberry  is  Case  aria  Sagrada,  and  the  bark  is  on 
sale  at  all  drug  stores  as  a  powerful  cathartic.  The 
small  black  or  coast  bear  goes  into  winter  quarters 
very  late,  and  when  he  does — about  January  ist — he 
betakes  himself  back  into  the  mountains,  somewhat 
nearer  the  coast  than  the  mountain  black  or  bald-face 
and  the  cinnamon  bear,  that  have  gone  in  at  least  a 
month  earlier.  Three  classes  of  Olympic  bear  have 
just  been  mentioned.  This  refers  to  size.  There 
are  at  least  five  varieties — the  black,  the  cinnamon 
or  brown,  the  silver-tip,  the  bald-face,  and  the 
grizzly.  The  three  classes  as  to  size  are  the  small 
coast  black,  weighing  from  two  hundred  to  four 
hundred,  the  mountain  black,  brown  and  cinnamon, 
ranging  from  four  hundred  to  eight  hundred,  and 
the  bald-face  and  grizzly,  from  eight  hundred  to  four- 
teen hundred,  and  even  sixteen  hundred.  No  living 
bear  is  dangerous  to  man  if  let  alone.  The  idea  that 
bear  make  unprovoked  attacks  on  man  is  entirely 
erroneous.  No  matter  how  large  the  bear,  if  the 
man  who  comes  upon  one  will  stand  and  steadily 
look  at  him  or  her,  that  bear  will  edge  off,  unless  the 


PEROUX  HAS  A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 
346 


ANOTHER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR 


247 


man  has  frightened  it  to  anger  by  suddenly  corner- 
ing it  while  it  is  eating,  or  has  interfered  with  its 
young".  If  a  coast  black  bear  is  hurt  by  a  shot,  it 
will  run  like  a  pig,  unless  cornered  where  it  cannot 
run  away  any  farther.  If  a  mountain  black,  cinna- 
mon, or  silver-tip,  be  hurt,  the  chances  are  that  it 
will  run,  but  it  may  not.  A  grizzly  will  rarely  run 
if  hurt,  and  almost  invariably  charges.  A  wounded 
bald-face  is  not  only  sure  to  charge,  but  will  follow 
a  hunter  for  a  day  or  two,  if  he  manages  to  escape  it 
at  first,  and  will  attack  him  in  camp  or  anywhere  it 
can  find  him.  It  is  the  hardest  bear  to  kill,  the  most 
revengeful,  and  consequently  the  most  dangerous. 
Its  sloping  frontal  bone  will  deflect  almost  any  rifle 
ball  at  no  matter  what  range.  It  will  roll  to  a  man 
and  tear  him  in  pieces  even  after  he  has  broken  one 
or  two  of  its  legs  by  well-directed  rifle  shots.  The 
only  shots  that  are  safe  are  one  at  the  butt  of  the  ear, 
sidewise,  or  one  striking  the  backbone,  across  the 
loins  from  the  rear.  With  other  portions  of  its 
anatomy  riddled  by  large-sized  rifle  balls,  it  will 
fight  for  an  indefinite  length  of  time,  and  one  blow 
from  its  awful  paw,  or  one  snap  of  its  terrible  jaws, 
is  sure  death.  The  popular  idea  that  big  bears  are 
clumsy  is  erroneous;  a  bear  will  run  as  fast  through 
the  open  as  a  deer,  and  faster  through  the  thicket  or 
over  tree  trunks.  It  can  turn  a  flipflap  with  all  the 
celerity  of  a  small  kitten.  A  cougar  never  rushes, 
but  comes  with  great  flying  leaps  at  his  prey  or  foe, 
gathering  for  an  instant  after  each  twenty  or  thirty 
foot  leap,  and  giving  time  for  a  shot,  but  a  bear 
conies  like  a  catapult.     A  hunter,  seeing  a  grizzly 


248        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

or  bald-face  two  hundred  yards  distant,  and  relying 
on  his  skill  as  a  marksman,  may  shoot,  but  he  had 
better  first  climb  a  tree  or  some  tall  isolated  rock, 
for  with  the  grizzly  there  are  chances  and  with  the 
bald-face  a  certainty,  that  the  game  will  come  with 
greater  or  less  speed,  straight  at  him.  A  steady 
marksman  with  a  Winchester  may  get  in  five  or  six 
shots,  and  he  may  not  get  in  more  than  three.  All 
this  information  and  much  more  had  Uncle  Festns 
imparted  to  Rex,  and  his  final  injunction  on  this 
trip  had  been,  "Don't  shoot,  boyee,  onless  ye  hev  a 
fair  crack  at  the  butt  o'  the  ear. " 

Late  that  afternoon,  when  they  reached  the  old 
camp,  they  drew  cuts  to  see  who  should  start  the 
fire  and  prepare  the  supper,  while,  as  Peroux 
expressed  it,  "the  others  skirmished  about  a  bit." 
It  fell  to  Perry  and  Rex  to  go  out,  and  each  taking 
a  "run"  about  five  hundred  yards  from  the  other, 
commenced  crawling  up  to  the  first  bench.  There 
was  a  little  break  or  sub-bench  about  one-third  the 
way  up  the  run.  Rex  was  mounting  and  as  his  eyes 
came  even  with  this,  he  saw  four  large  split  hoofs 
sticking  out  at  him.  On  crawling  further,  he  found 
himself  beside  the  mangled  remains  of  a  full-grown 
elk — a  bull  that  would  have  dressed  at  least  eight 
hundred,  and  weighed  on  foot  eleven  hundred  or 
twelve  hundred  pounds.  It  had  not  been  killed 
more  than  a  week,  but  was  pretty  nearly  devoured. 
Its  skull  had  been  crushed  in  by  a  fall  from  above. 
Rex  looked  up,  and  to  the  right  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  his  head  beheld  an  overhanging 
rock  that  looked  like  the  edge  of  a  bench.    He  called 


ANOTHER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR  249 

to  Perry,  and  the  latter  toiled  across  and  examined 
the  carcass  carefully. 

"Killed  by  cats.  B'ar  now  usin'  on  it,"  he  com- 
mented. 

"How  do  you  know  it  was  killed  by  cats,  Perry?" 

"See  that  hide  all  tore  inter  shoestrings?  Cats  did 
that  when  they  killed  him.  They  sucked  his  blood 
an'  eat  his  flesh  fer  a  few  days,  an'  right  thar  under 
that  little  spruce  is  whar  they  curled  up  after 
gorgin'  theirself.  See  the  bed?  Now,  how'd  I 
know  b'ar  was  usin'  here?  Jest  look  up  this  run. 
See  that  mark  there  on  the  edge  o'  that  soft  shale? 
Wall,  thar's  whar  a  b'ar  jest  slid  down  over.  Too 
lazy  an'  slovenly  to  pick  up  his  feet,  but  jest  slid. 
A  cat'd  come  down  there  as  dainty  as  ye  please,  but 
a  b'ar  jest  slid.  He's  got  some  place  up  above  here 
on  a  bench  whar  he  leaves  his  sign,  an'  by  that — it's 
all  in  one  place — we  kin  tell  'bout  how  many  times 
he's  been  here.     Come  on!" 

They  climbed  up  together,  and  found  the  "sign," 
as  Perry  had  said,  on  the  first  bench  above ;  also  the 
place  atop  that  jutting  rock  where  the  cougar  and 
elk  had  fought.  They — for  there  had  been  two  cats 
and  big  ones  too — had  evidently  jumped  on  him  from 
out  of  the  spreading  boughs  of  a  large  scrub  pine  at 
the  back  of  this  bench,  when  he  stood  at  the  edge  of 
the  cliff.  Then  had  occurred  a  fierce  fight.  At 
this  season  the  bull  elk  has  shed  his  horns  and 
cannot  fight  as  well  as  usual,  but  this  fellow  had 
used  his  remaining  weapons — his  pointed  hoofs — and 
the  thin  soil  was  torn  by  tracks,  and  strewn  with 
blood,  tufts  of  hair  and  patches  of  hide.     He  had 


2SO  ki-:\  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

evidently  finally  taken  a  flying  leap  out  into  space, 
and  from  his  back  his  foes  had  sprung  ten  feet 
further,  out  to  a  bunch  of  fir  trees,  the  tall  tops  of 
which  were  not  thirty  feel  below  the  level  of  the 
rock.  The  tops  of  these  trees  appeared  broken  and 
scratched  in  two  places. 

"Wall!  1  don'1  see  any  track  o'  this  b'ar  up  over 
the  perpindickerler  side  o'  this  ledge.      S'pose    we 

make  I'er  the  next  bench?  You  go  to  the  right  an'  1 
to  the  left.     The  lust   inn  ye  come  to,  go  up.     I'll 

ilo  the  same.       Then    come  along   OUt  that    bench  an' 

meet  me,  drivin'  the  b'ar.  n 

Rex  laughed.  "All  right,  Perry.  Til  drive  him 
right  into  your  arms.  n 

"Ye  may  laugh,"  said  Perry,  seriously,  "but  I 
tell  ye,  he'll  be  comin'  down  soon.  B'ar  live  on 
most  everything  they  kin  find,  but  never  kill  any- 
thin'  more'n  fish.  What  they  pertickler  like  is  nice 
fresh  grass  an1  nice  ole  carrion.  Didn't  know  b'ar 
lived  on  grass  like  a  cow,  did  ye?  Wall,  they  (\^\ 
an'  they  eat  young  shrubs  an'  ants  in  rotten  logs  an' 
wild  honey,  an'  1  dunno  what  all,  but  they'll  leave 

il  all  fer  carrion.  Now  watch  out  t'er  b'ar,  'cause 
he's  usin'  here,  an'  bein'  reg'lar  in  his  habits,  he'll 

come  down.  " 

Rex  moved  along  that  bench  a  half-mile  before  he 
\\n\\)(\  a  run  that  he  thought   might  give  him    footing 

to  reach  the  next  bench,  fully  three  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above,  lie  was  quite  confident  this  was 
the  run  down  which  the  bear  came,  but  the  last 
storm  had  swept  it  clean  ^)\  brush  ^v  loose  debris,  in 
which  a  track  would  be  quite  likely  to  show  itself, 


A\< »  rill-k  lli'X  r  AND  A  BKAK 


l  ,  i 


The  run,  though  smooth,  was  comparatively  easy  of 
ascent,  and  he  had  nearly  reached  its  summit  when 
he  saw  a  moving  shadow  above  him  to  the  right. 
The  bench  was  indented  by  this  run,  to  a  depth  oi 
fifty  feet,  and  this  moving  shadow  was  prog 
in  toward  the  head  of  the  run.  Rex  had  made  little 
noise,  and  he  new  lay  silent  on  his  stomach,  turning 
his  head  only  enough  to  watch  that  shadow.  The 
shadow  had  .it  first  been  a  mere  shapeless  bulk,  but 
now,  .is  ii  neared  the  head  of  the  run  and  came 
nearer  the  brink,  it  resolved  itself  into  the  shap<  oi 
.1  huge  bear.  That  he  would  show  himseli  over  tin  i 
brink  far  enough  to  afford  .1  shol  Rex  was  ardently 
hoping,  but  in  this  hope  he  was  doomed  to  disappoint 
ment,  for  at  this  instant  the  sha  low  stopped,  raised 
its  head  in  air  and  motioned  up  and  down  as  ii 
sniffing.  By  tins  Rex  knew  he  was  scented,  and 
rolled  .1  little  on  his  side  to  get  .1  shot  should  t  he 
bear  peer  over.  But  bruin  was  t<><>  wary.  He 
rose  a  trifle  on  bis  hind  feet,  and  whirled  quickly 
about  as  if  on  .1  pivot ;  the  shadow  disappeared,  and 
Rex  scrambled  up.  There  was  the  bench,  clear  for 
two  hundred  yards,  and  along  it',  level  surface  he 
ran  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  To  the  left  was  a  sheer 
bill  of  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet.  To  the 
right  was  a  wall  of  rocks  smooth  as  the  plastered 
wall  of  a  house.  As  he  ran,  he  rounded  the  first 
projection,  and  stopped  so  quickly  that  he  came 
near  falling  down,  for  there,  not  fifty  yards  distant, 
stood  the  bear,  an  enormous  silver  tip,  broadside, 
while  "lit  beyond  him,  about  one  hundred  yards, 
was  Perry  in  the  act  of  fakjng  aim, 


252        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Rex's  sudden  appearance  caused  Perry  to  lower 
his  gun,  and  in  a  low,  even  voice  he  called  out, 
"We've  got  the  critter  all  right  if  we  manage  him. 
Don't  make  any  quick  motion,  but  back  up  to  that 
rock  behind  ye,  git  a  dead  rest  an'  when  I  count 
three  fire  at  his  ear.  If  he  stan's  up  under  both 
shots  an'  charges  ye,  keep  behind  the  rock  an'  let 
him  run  past  ye,  as  I  think  he  will,  an'  then  let  him 
have  it  again." 

"But  suppose  he  stops  to  interview  me?" 

"If  ye  think  there's  any  danger  o'  that,  let  him 
have  'fore  he  gits  to  ye." 

"Suppose  he  charges  you,  Perry?" 

"Never  yon  worry  'bout  Perry.  I'll  take  keer  o' 
him." 

"Now!     One!  two!  three!" 

At  the  word  both  rifles  cracked,  and  the  bear  fell, 
but  scrambled  to  his  feet  and  charged  Perry.  That 
individual  was  now  a  picture.  His  Springfield  was 
only  a  single  shot,  bat  he  coolly  threw  his  shell, 
slipped  in  another  and  whipping  out  his  big  knife 
put  it  between  his  teeth.  He  was  taking  careful 
aim  at  the  mad  beast  before  Rex  could  collect  his 
wits.  It  was  pretty  late  to  act,  but  Rex  made  a 
good,  quick  shot,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
the  bear,  not  thirty  yards  from  Perry,  fall  in  a  heap, 
his  back  broken.  He  came  up  again,  however,  on 
his  fore  feet,  and  was  dragging  himself  toward  the 
enemy,  when  Uncle  Sam  spoke,  and  the  bear  rolled 
over  toward  the  rocky  wall,  trembling  and  kicking 
his  huge  feet.  Perry  had  taken  him  fairly  between 
the  eyes,  low  down,  and  had  reached  the  region  of 


ANOTHER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR  253 

his  heart.  Rex  was  so  faint  and  weak  he  could 
hardly  stand,  but  Perry,  cool  as  ever  and  with- 
out a  tremor  in  his  voice,  shouted:  "That's  our 
hide." 

"That's you r  hide,  you  mean,"  called  out  Rex,  as 
he  made  his  way  around  the  circling-  bench.  "I  tell 
you,  old  man,  you're  a  brick.  What'd  you  calculate 
to  do  with  that  knife?" 

' '  My  plan, ' '  said  Perry,  as  he  deliberately  leaned 
on  his  rifle,  "was  to  stop  him  if  I  could  with  that 
shot,  an'  if  I  couldn't,  then  to  jab  him  with  the 
gun,  an'  when  he  got  his  jaws  on  that  to  give  him 
the  knife.  Your  shot  flustered  me  a  leetle,  but  I 
got  pretty  near  dead  center." 

"I  should  say  you  did!  Well!  you've  got  nerve  in 
every  inch  of  your  body." 

"A  man's  got  to  have  nerve,  huntin'  these  critters, 
er  he  gits  the  daylights  chawed  outen  him.  Come 
on ;  let's  skin  him.  Til  bet  Peroux's  cussin'  to  think 
he  didn't  hev  that  chance." 

"He  could  have  had  it  for  all  of  me,"  replied  Rex, 
as  they  set  to  work  stripping  off  the  hide.  The  bear 
was  in  very  good  flesh,  in  fact,  fat,  and  his  hide  was 
a  beauty,  measuring  eight  feet  eleven  inches  from 
tip  of  nose  to  center  of  hind  crotch.  A  green  bear 
hide  of  that  size  is  a  heavy  burden.  This  one  must 
have  weighed  at  least  ninety  pounds,  and  though 
Rex  carried  the  skull,  Perry  was  until  nearly  dark 
getting  down  to  camp  with  it.  Rex  also  brought 
down  the  feet,  and  these  he  found  a  great  delicacy, 
when  broiled  by  Perry  on  a  sharp  stick  over  bark 
coals.     The  three  were  very  merry  that  night,  and 


254  Rex  Wayland'S  fortune 

it  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  before  they  rolled  up  in 
their  blankets  to  sleep. 

Rex  was  just  dropping  off  into  his  first  doze,  lulled 
by  the  alternate  roar  of  the  fall  when  the  wind 
circled  from  the  east,  and  the  moans  and  wails  from 
the  deep  canon  when  it  came  from  the  west.  These 
sounds  had  grown  fainter  and  fainter,  and  he  had 
almost  lost  consciousness  when  a  yell  just  above  his 
head  brought  him  and  his  companions  to  a  sitting 
posture.  It  had  begun  like  the  sudden  shriek  of  a 
steam  whistle,  but  it  now  died  away  in  a  long  drawn 
yawl,  to  rise  again  in  increased  volume.  The  boy's 
hair  stood  on  end.  "Say?  What's  that?"  he 
gasped. 

"Cats!"  responded  Perry,  sententiously.  "They're 
smellin'  that  b'ar  meat.  It's  too  strong  fer  our 
stummicks,  but  they  kin  stan'  it.  They  may  not  eat 
it  to-night,  'cause  they'll  smell  where  we  ben  round 
it.     Wish't  I'd  thought  to  dope  it  with  strikenine. " 

Rex  lay  back  again,  but  started  up  as  another 
yowl  rent  the  air.  He  had  heard  big  torn  cats  by 
night,  but  their  snarls,  in  comparison  with  these, 
were  like  the  sound  of  a  boy's  whistle  compared  with 
the  blast  of  the  most  powerful  steam  whistle.  "Will 
they  attack  us?"  he  asked. 

"Naw!  They  won't  attack  us.  Lay  down  an'  go 
to  sleep."  Perry  spoke  very  nonchalantly,  but  Rex 
noticed  that  he  kept  a  better  fire  than  usual,  and 
tired  as  he  was,  did  not  sleep  much. 

The  next  morning  at  an  early  hour  the  three 
started  off  along  the  side  of  the  northern  range 
toward  the  west  and  up  the  river  beyond  the  canon. 


ANOTHER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR  255 

Their  plan  was  to  go  up  about  four  miles,  looking 
for  bear  tracks  across  a  big  bottom  they  had  seen 
from  the  mountain,  returning  to  camp  at  nightfall. 
They  reached  this  bottom  about  nine  o'clock.  Perry 
was  ahead,  and  they  were  walking  through  a  com- 
paratively open  piece  of  woods,  when  he  stopped  and 
remarked:  "I  fifed  all  the  fun  last  night.  You  fel- 
lers sneak  on  'em  if  ye  wan'to,  an'  I'll  stay  here  to 
take  'em  if  they  come  this  way." 

"To  take  what?"  exclaimed  both  Peroux  and  Rex. 

"Them  elk  up  there  ahead.  They're  in  a  little 
glade  jest  round  this  bend  in  the  river.  I  see  'em  a 
ways  back.  Keep  well  round  on  the  side  hill  above 
'em,  an'  I'll  sneak  through  by  this  old  trail  up  to 
the  nose  o'  the  bend.      I  won't  shoot  till  you  do.  " 

Peroux  and  Rex  needed  no  further  invitation,  but 
hurriedly  worked  their  way  around,  while  Perry 
crept  along  the  river.  The  glade  was  a  half  circle, 
bounded  by  the  river  to  the  south,  and  here  in  peace 
and  contentment  both  Peroux  and  Rex  soon  saw  a 
herd  of  eleven  elk.  The  leader,  an  old  bull,  was 
remarkably  large,  and  what  was  most  singular,  still 
retained  his  antlers,  notwithstanding  the  lateness  of 
the  season.  "He's  at  least  a  month  late,"  whis- 
pered Peroux.  "Must  be  they've  just  come  down 
from  the  interior,  where  it's  cold  later,  and  where 
they  carry  their  horns  six  or  eight  weeks  longer." 

"You  take  him,"  returned  Rex,  "and  I'll  have  a 
try  at  that  little  bull.  I  got  one  the  other  day,  and 
it's  your  turn  now."  Peroux  smiled  his  thanks  as 
they  drew  nearer,  and  at  a  distance  of  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  yards  knelt  down,  shoot- 


256        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

ing,  as  was  his  custom,  without  a  rest.  Rex,  on  the 
other  hand,  rested  beside  a  tree  trunk,  and  drew 
down  for  a  point  back  of  his  bull's  shoulder.  Then 
he  softly  counted,  and  as  the  rifles  cracked  saw  the 
big  fellow  go  down  in  a  heap,  while  the  remainder 
of  the  herd,  first  huddled  and  then  led  by  the  young 
bull,  bounded  toward  cover  on  the  farther  side. 
The  young  leader  was  never  destined  to  reach  cover, 
however,  for  at  this  instant  Perry's  rifle  boomed 
and  he  fell  with  a  big  ball  through  his  spine. 

As  the  three  hunters  ran  across  the  glade,  Rex 
called  out:  "Much  obliged,  Perry.  Don't  know  how 
I  ever  came  to  miss." 

"You  didn't  miss;  he's  bored  plum  through,  right 
near  the  heart,  but  he  might  'a  run  a  mile  'fore  he 
dropped. " 

This  they  found  to  be  true,  and  as  Perry's  shot 
had  stopped  him  only,  and  as  he  would  have  died 
anyhow,  Perry  declared  the  game  belonged  to  Rex, 
and  that  this  shot  was  only  in  payment  of  the  one 
lent  at  the  bear-killing.  As  they  stood  talking, 
Peroux  happened  to  look  round  and  saw  his  big  bull 
moving.  Drawing  his  knife,  he  leaped  forward, 
intending  to  cut  the  creature's  throat.  As  he  drew 
near,  the  bull,  which  had  been  shot  through  the 
neck  and  stunned,  staggered  to  its  feet,  its  eyes 
green  with  rage,  and  its  enormous  mane  erect.  This 
unexpected  revival  so  astonished  Peroux  that  he 
hesitated,  and  that  hesitation  came  near  costing 
him  his  life,  for  with  a  shrill  whistle  the  bull 
charged  him,  and  to  the  horror  of  Perry  and  Rex, 
bore  him  to  the  earth.     The  bull's  "dog  killers,"  or 


AN<  )THER  HUNT  AND  A  BEAR  2$ 7 

forward  prongs,  were  apparently  driven  through 
and  through  the  stalwart  Alsatian,  but  in  reality  one 
was  under  each  arm,  while  the  others  were  against  a 
vine  maple,  over  which  Peroux  had  fallen  backward. 
In  his  mad  fury  the  elk  hooked  and  jammed  his 
victim,  but  as  Peroux  had  caught  his  antlers  close 
and  hung  on  for  dear  life,  little  harm  was  being 
done  aside  from  bruises.  Cocking  his  rifle.  Perry 
danced  around  to  get  a  shot,  but  man  and  beast 
were  so  mixed  up  he  dared  not  risk  it. 

At  this  instant  a  remarkable  incident  occurred. 
The  bull,  in  his  struggles  to  back  up,  braced  and 
gave  a  mighty  surge,  leaving  his  antlers  with 
Peroux.  The  big  hunter  sprang  nimbly  to  his  feet, 
knife  in  hand,  for  he  had  not  dropped  it  through  all 
the  hard  struggle.  The  horns  were  partially 
entangled  in  the  maple,  and  he  caught  his  clothing 
on  them  and  fell  again,  just  as  the  bull  shot  forward 
his  sharp  fore  hoofs  with  a  force  that  mast  have 
impaled  the  hunter  had  they  struck  him.  One  went 
either  side  of  Peroux 's  body,  cutting  the  shirt  as  a 
knife  might  have  done,  and  now.  with  his  left  arm 
wound  round  the  brute's  neck,  Peroux  was  down  on 
his  back  again,  but  plying  his  knife.  Rex  and 
Perry  tried  to  shoot,  but  the  combatants  rolled  over 
one  another  so  fast  it  was  impossible.  The  ribs  of 
a  less  strong  man  must  have  been  crushed,  but 
Peroux  seemed  iron-sided,  and  plied  his  knife 
desperately.  The  fourth  thrust  touched  the  heart, 
and  rolling  to  one  side,  the  savage  elk  gave  up  the 
battle. 

At  first,  Peroux  could  not  arise,  and  so  pale  and 


258        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

bloody  was  he  when,  with  assistance,  he  did  struggle 
to  his  feet,  that-  his  companions  were  greatly 
alarmed.  However,  the  blood  was  mainly  elk  blood, 
and  the  injuries  were  confined  to  bruises  and  abra- 
sions. Indeed,  after  a  rest,  Peroux  helped  carry  his 
portion  of  the  meat  back  to  camp,  and  though  lame 
the  next  day  and  for  several  days  thereafter,  by  one 
of  those  miracles  that  sometimes  favor  hunters, 
he  escaped  serious  injury. 

The  next  three  days  were  consumed  in  getting 
their  game  and  trophies  back  to  Peroux's  cabin,  and 
once  more  satisfied,  Rex  went  back  across  the  canal, 
to  meet  a  man  whom  he  had  never  before  seen,  yet 
who  was  inadvertently  to  give  him  important  infor- 
mation concerning  the  "great  Spanish  treasure." 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

ELIAS     PARMLE,    PROSPECTOR ASTONISHING     STORY     OF 

THE    ELK     HORNS 

Elias  Parmle  is  one  of  the  oddest  characters  in  all 
the  Puget  Sound  region.  By  reason  of  his  oddity 
and  droll  expressions,  he  has  for  years  been  better 
known  by  the  name  of  "Bill  Nye."  He  claims  to 
be  of  Swiss  descent,  which  probably  accounts  for  his 
love  of  the  mountains  and  mountain  climbing.  Born 
in  Kansas,  his  parents  sent  him  east  to  school.  One 
day  he  was  missed,  and  his  friends  did  not  hear  of 
him  in  ten  long  years.  When  they  did,  he  came 
from  Washington  state,  where  he  had  been  prospect- 
ing, and  sold  out  his  claim,  clearing  a  small  fortune. 
With  this  he  saw  the  east,  and  journeyed  west  again 
to  do  more  prospecting.  At  various  times  he  made 
small  strikes,  but  always  lost  the  value  of  the  good 
ones  by  expending  all  the  money  he  made  in 
attempts  to  develop  bad  ones.  Less  than  forty-five 
years  of  age,  he  has  for  twenty-five  years  been  a 
very  pioneer  of  prospectors,  and,  like  most  of  the 
mining  advance  guard,  he  has  never  been  rich  long. 
He  has  lived  more  than  half  the  time  since  1870  in 
the  wildest,  most  desolate  portions  of  the  Cascades 
and  Olympics.  A  plain  narration  of  his  adventures 
would  read  like  the  most  lurid  fiction,   for  he  has 

dodged   and    fought    Indians,    seen   and    slain  wild 

259 


260        REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

beasts,  tumbled  over  precipices,  has  been  swept 
through  the  rocky  canons  of  mountain  rivers,  has 
been  snowbound  until  obliged  to  cook  and .  eat  his 
moccasins,  has  been  imprisoned  two  days  without 
food  on  a  lone  cloud-covered  peak,  afraid  to  move 
lest  he  should  fall  into  some  terrible  crevasse,  and  is 
still  alive,  and,  as  he  puts  it,  "tougher'n  tripe." 

When  out  of  the  mountains,  he  travels  about  the 
sound  and  its  "slews"  in  a  huge  whaleboat.  Like 
the  majority  of  Puget  Sound  boatmen,  he  always 
stands  up  to  row.  His  oars  are  nearer  sweeps,  being 
twelve  feet  in  length ,  broad  and  heavy.  He  is  a 
giant,  and  all  about  him  is  in  proportion.  His 
whaleboat  is  twenty-four  feet  lung,  and  of  six-foot 
beam.  Its  lines  arc  so  well  laid,  however,  that 
even  an  ordinary  man  or  boy  can  propel  it,  and  when 
Elias  throws  his  two  hundred  and  sixty  pounds 
against  the  oars,  she  moves  through  the  water  at  a 
speed  of  six  to  eight  miles  an  hour. 

One  morning  Rex  saw  this  craft  moving  up  the 
canal,  and  noted  its  size,  though  two  miles  out. 
Near  the  boat,  apparently  about  one  hundred  yards 
distant,  was  a  large  flock  of  brant.  As  hunters  well 
know,  all  waterfowl  of  the  game  order  are  birds  of 
excellent  judgment  as  to  distance.  They  will  sit 
complacently  and  let  a  hunter  approach  to  within 
one  hundred  yards,  knowing  that  few  fowling  pieces 
will  carry  more  than  sixty,  and  fewer  yet  will  do 
execution  on  feather-armored  fowl  at  that  distance. 
But  let  hunter  or  boat  approach  nearer,  and  they  are 
away.  The  big  whaleboat  was  just  about  one  hun- 
dred yards  from  this  flock,  when  the  oarsman  picked 


ELIAS  PARMLE  AND  REX  MEET. 
261 


262        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

up  a  gun.  At  this  the  brant,  which  had  for  some 
time  been  craning  their  necks  and  circling  round 
uneasily,  took  wing,  and  well  together  started  up 
the  canal.  They  had  hardly  bunched  for  flight  when, 
boom!  boom!  went  the  gun,  and  at  least  a  dozen 
fell,  some  flapping  about  on  the  water  and  diving, 
but  unable  to  rise. 

''Great  heavens!  What  a  shot!"  exclaimed  Rex, 
running  out.  "What  kind  of  a  gun  does  that  man 
use?" 

"That's  his  ole  No.  8,"  answered  Uncle  Festus, 
who  had  come  in  from  the  woods.  "He's  got  a 
reg'lar  young  cannon  there.  Heaviest  gun  'long- 
shore. Ye  know  most  on  us  use  a  twelve-gauge, 
with  shells  loaded  with  three  and  a  quarter  drams  o' 
powder  an'  one  an'  an  eighth  ounces  o'  number  two 
to  four  shot  fer  duck.  Wall,  that  rooster  has  an 
eight-gauge,  with  a  bar'l  thirty-eight  inches  long. 
The  gun  weighs  fifteen  pound,  an'  will  kill  at  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  forty  yard.  He  loads 
its  shells  with  six  to  seven  drams  o'  good  powder, 
an'  fer  duck  er  brant  from  forty  to  fifty  No.  i,  or 
'bout  two  ounce  o'  No.  2.  That's  the  way  he  gits 
'em.  That  gun  cost  a  purty  sum,  an'  is  one  o'  his 
whims.  Purty  profitable  whim  too,  I  reckon,  though 
'twouldn't  be  o'  much  use  to  you  or  me,  'cause  we 
couldn't  hold  it.  Say,  Rex!  I  wish't  you'd  call  him 
in.  I'd  like  to  hire  the  critter  fer  a  few  days.  The 
fallers  are  gettin'  behind.  Tell  him  we'll  pay  him 
$2  and  grub. " 

Rex  signalled  for  the  giant  to  come  ashore,  and 
after  picking  up  his  brant,  Elias  leisurely  swept  his 


ELIAS  PARMLE,  PROSPECTOR  263 

craft  to  the  dock.  He  was  reluctant  about  hiring 
out,  as  he  had  planned  to  go  back  into  the  Olympics 
by  Big  River  the  following  Monday,  but  when  he 
learned  it  would  be  an  accommodation  to  Uncle 
Festus,  he  quickly  promised,  and  went  down  to  the 
boat  to  cover  up  his  kit  and  take  out  his  brant. 
While  talking,  Rex  had  improved  the  opportunity  to 
look  him  over,  and  was  greatly  interested  in  his 
appearance.  Standing  six  feet  eight  inches  in  his 
No.  10  logging  boots,  and  weighing  two  hundred 
and  sixty-one  pounds,  although  not  at  all  fleshy,  but 
rather  rawboned  and  brawny,  Elias'  appearance  was 
deceptive.  His  feet  and  hands  seemed  small  in  pro- 
portion to  his  size,  and  one  could  hardly  believe  that 
his  head,  even  with  its  mass  of  brown  hair  (not 
shingled,  but  "cut  square"),  called  for  a  No.  9  hat. 
He  claimed  to  cut  his  own  hair  twice  a  year,  and 
even  this  people  were  inclined  to  admit,  when  they 
saw  him  shave  himself  with  a  big  hunting-knife, 
using  ordinary  "hard"  soap  for  lather.  His  features 
were  large,  and  while  rugged,  were  in  a  way  hand- 
some. In  fact,  had  he  been  an  actor,  so  mobile  were 
these  features  and  so  expressive  were  his  great  gray 
eyes,  he  must  have  made  a  reputation.  His  voice 
was  of  great  range  arid  pleasing  in  tone.  He  was 
very  mild  in  manner,  almost  boyish,  except  when 
aroused,  which  was  seldom,  and  then  he  looked  truly 
majestic.  Elias  is  a  great  reader — not  of  news- 
papers, but  history  and  the  poets.  No  matter  where 
he  may  be  to-day,  in  his  pack  will  be  found  a  small, 
well-worn  copy  of  the  Bible,  Shakespeare,  and  prob- 
ably a  volume  or  two  of  Grote's  Greece,  Gibbon's 


264        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  Rollin's 
Ancient  History,  or  Macaulay  or  Hume. 

"Some  fellers  pack  round  a  gallon  or  two  of 
tanglefoot,  or  a  few  pound  o'  cigarettes,  but  ez  fer 
me,  gimme  a  batch  o'  good,  solid  readin'  an'  a 
mod'rate  'lowance  o'  chawin'  terbacker.  As  Shakes- 
peare makes  old  Prospero,  in  his  cell,  say,  'I'm  all 
dedicated  to  closeness'  (meanin'  retirement)  'an'  the 
betterin'  o'  my  mind.'  " 

It  did  not  take  Elias  long  to  pick  his  brant  and 
pack  the  feathers  away  that  morning,  for  he  was 
very  skillful,  and  having  carefully  stowed  his  truck 
in  a  locker  he  came  up  to  camp  with  a  half-dozen  of 
the  finest  and  fattest  birds.  "They're  not  as  good 
eatin'  as  they  was  a  month  ago,  Mis'  Wayland,  but, 
as  Mr.  Shakespeare  would  say  if  workin'  in  these 
woods,  'Now  good  digestion  waits  on  appetite,'  an'  I 
persoom  the  boys'll  relish  'em." 

Mrs.  Wayland,  who  had  heard  so  much  of  him  that 
she  felt  acquainted,  thanked  him,  and  he  strolled  out 
to  the  door  of  the  office,  where  he  sat  down,  took  a 
small  copy  of  Dante  from  his  pocket,  and  began 
reading.  He  had  rowed  up  from  Whiskey  Spit, 
*  down  opposite  Port  Gamble,  that  morning,  where 
he  had  shot  and  picked  some  two  dozen  duck,  brant 
and  geese,  and,  as  it  was  within  an  hour  of  the  early 
dinner,  did  not  care  to  commence  work  until  noon. 

"Been  hunting  waterfowl  lately?"  said  Rex. 

"Yes;  sort  o'  huntin'  of  'em.  That  snow  we 
had  in  Feberary  fell  purty  deep  upon  the  ridges 
over  'crosst  yonder,  an'  I  thought  I  might  as  well 
put  in  a  leetle  time  huntin'    'longshore.     Think  I'll 


ELIAS  PARMLE,  PROSPECTOR  265 

start  in  soon,  though.  I  wanter  git  in  airly  this 
year.  The  storms  hev  ben  purty  heavy,  an'  I  kal- 
kerlate  some  float  wuth  lookin'  at  '11  be  loosened 
up." 

"How  far  back  do  you  go?" 

"Oh!  Most  anywhar  I  wanter.  Ben  clar  'crosst 
once  or  twice. ' ' 

"Why!  I  thought  nobody  ever  went  across  up 
here." 

"Scurce  anybody  ever  haz,  'cept  me,  I  guess. 
Purty  dang'rous. " 

"Find  any  game  over  in  there?" 

"Oh,  yes.  See  lots  o'  b'ar  an'  elk,  an'  any 
quantity  o'  deer  an'  wolves;  but  no  use  huntin'  in 
thar.  Couldn't  pack  out  any  b'ar-pelt  ner  horns  in 
a  month,  ter  say  nothin'  o'  meat.  Only  last  year  I 
see  the  gol  dangest  pair  o'  horns  over  in  thar  ye 
ever  hearn  of,  but  I  didn't  do  any  more'n  take  'em 
down  an'  look  at  'em.      Then  I  lost  'em." 

"How  large  were  they?"  inquired  Rex,  his  heart 
thumping  and  his  face  growing  white  and  red  by 
turns. 

"Why,  Mr.  Wayland,  ef  I  wuz  ter  tell  ye  God's 
honest  truth,  you'd  think  I  wuz  lyin'.  'I  cud  a  tale 
unfold'  that'd  gin  me  the  belt  fer  champion  liar  all 
'long  this  canal.  No,  I  guess  I'll  say  nothin'  till  I 
pack  'em  out." 

"Oh,  pshaw,  Elias!  Don't  be  afraid.  I  know 
you're  not  a  liar.  Tell  me  about  'em.  If  you  don't 
want  me  to  say  anything,  I  won't." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Wayland,  I  will,  but  I  don't  want 
ye  to  doubt  my  word,  fer  that'd  hurt  my  feelin's.     1 


266        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

was  a-crawlin'  'long  the  backbone  of  a  divide  jest 
over  to  the  southeast  o'  Mount  Olympus,  when  I  see 
off  to  the  left  o'  me  a  hole  in  the  ground.  The 
clouds  were  a-flyin*  purty  thick,  an'  I  thought  first 
'twas  shadders,  but  then  I  thought  'twan't,  an'  I 
crawled  over  that  way;  an'  thar — by  gum!  thar 
'twas — an  ole  crater.  Darndest  sinkhole  ye  ever 
see.  I  should  think  'twas  two  hundred  yard  'crost 
lengthwise,  an'  'bout  one  hundred  an'  fifty  t'other 
way.  'Twas  'bout  four  hundred  feet  down  to  the 
water,  for  'twas  like  all  them  ole  craters — a  small 
deep  lake,  an'  'twas  purty  near  straight  down,  too. 
Down  'bout  seventy- five  er  one  hundred  foot  to  the 
south  side  wuz  a  little  bench.  I  shu'd  say  'twas  six 
or  eight  foot  wide  in  its  widest,  an'  p'raps  thirty  or 
forty  foot  long,  an'  in  this  was  growin'  four  small 
scrub  pine.  Xow,  these  wuz  the  only  trees  I'd  seen 
up  that  high,  fer  this  crater  is  above  the  tree  line, 
an'  I  set  down  an'  looked  at  'em,  wonderin'  how  in 
sixty-nine  them  trees  ever  got  started  there.  As  I 
wuz  lookin'  one  o'  these  little  meat  birds  ye  see 
everywhere  in  the  mountains  kim  a-sailin'  over  an' 
lit  right  down  onto  what  I  first  took  to  be  a  dry 
limb,  but  which  I  now  see  wuz  a  elk  horn.  I  looked 
an'  looked,  an'  rubbed  my  eyes,  fer  I  couldn't 
believe  thar  wuz  ever'nelk  horn  o'  that  size  growed. 
Why,  it  looked  ten  feet  long.  I  wuz  bound  I'd  git 
down  an'  see  that  thing,  but  how  I  didn't  know. 
'Bout  two  mile  back,  I  had  'bout  two  hundred  foot 
o'  inch  rope,  an'  I  made  up  my  mind  I'd  go  git  that. 
It  wuz  clost  onto  three  o'clock  when  I  got  back  there, 
an'  I  hadn't  had  any  dinner,  but  I  jest  made  up  my 


ELIAS  PARMLE,  PROSPECTOR 


267 


mind  I  might  as  well  swing  over  on  an  empty  stum- 
mick  as  a  full  one,  an'  tyin'  my  rope  strong  round  a 
big  rock  a  ways  back  from  the  edge,  I  tied  knots  in 
it  every  few  feet  an'  slid  over.  'Twas  easy  nuff 
goin'  down,  but  it  made  me  sick  ter  my  stummick 
hangin'  out  over  there,  an'  I  wuz  glad  when  my  feet 
touched  the  ledge.  My!  How  quiet  'twas  down 
there!  The  wind  moanin'  round  up  above  sounded 
fur  away,  an'  the  waters,  three  hundred  foot  er 
more  below,  wuz  absolutely  without  current  er 
motion  'cept  an  occasional  bubblin'  up  an'  heavin' 
that  sent  eddies  every  which  way.  I  imagined  how 
I'd  surprise  things  by  losin'  my  footin'  an'  makin'  a 
hole  in  that  pond.  However,  I  didn't  care  to  do 
that,  an'  lettin'  go  my  rope  I  crawled  in  under  the 
little  trees  ter  examine  the  elk  horns.  An',  say, 
Mr.  Wayland!  I've  seen  some  big  horns,  both  on  the 
head  an'  off,  but  I  never  see  nothin'  in  all  my  born 
days,  even  two-thirds  as  big  as  them.  I  shud  say 
they'd  weigh  a  hundred  pounds,  an'  they're  in  per- 
fect condition,  'cept  so  fur  as  the  moss  is  concerned. 
They's  a  leetle  moss  on  'em,  but  no  mice  ner 
marmot  ner  squirrel  cud  get  at  'em  down  thar,  an' 
they're  perfect.  I  stood  them  there  elk  horns  on 
their  tips,  an',  Mr.  Wayland,  sure  as  I  live,  the 
crown  o'  my  head  didn't  touch  the  crotch.  I'm 
aware  ye  can't  hardly  believe  that,  but  it's  the  truth, 
an'  I  kin  prove  it  if  I  ever  git  'em  out.  Why!  If  I 
had  them  over  in  Seattle  I  cud  git  a  clean  hundred 
dollars  fer  'em. 

"An'  now,  Mr.  Wayland,  comes  the  funny  part  o' 
this  story — the  part  what  robs  me  o'  proof.     As  I 


26S  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

said,  thar  wa'n't  any  wind  down  in  that  crater,  an'  so 
there  hadn't  ben,  when  all  of  a  suddint,  a  blast 
sucked  down  that  come  near  sweepin'  me  off'n  that 
bench.  Why!  Fer  a  few  seconds  that  rope  stood 
straight  out,  an'  if  it  had  caught  on  any  o'  the  knobs 
o'  rock  out  along  the  sides  o'  that  well  I  wudn't  be 
tellin'  you  this  yarn.  But  it  come  back  within  'bout 
twelve  foot  o'  the  ledge,  an'  hung.  The  wind  had 
moved  it.  There  I  wuz,  like  a  rat  in  a  trap,  sick  to 
my  stummick.  A  man  don't  like  to  jump  out 
twelve  or  fifteen  foot  from  a  little  ledge  to  ketch  a 
inch  rope  danglin'  over  a  bottomless  pit,  an'  you  bet 
I  didn't  wanter.  I  looked  round  fer  a  stick  or  limb, 
but  there  wa'n't  none  long  enough.  The  longest  I 
cud  find  wuz  easy  three  foot  short.  I  wuz  purty 
near  hysterieks,  when  I  thought  of  a  scheme.  I  laid 
the  horns  down  flat  on  the  ledge,  points  out,  an'  on 
the  crotch  I  piled  some  flat  shaly  stun  I  found  there 
— a  lot  on  'em,  five  hundred  pound,  I  guess — an' 
then  I  tried  straddlin'  out  on  them  antlers.  I  got 
out  twoer  three  foot  over  the  edge  an'  there  I  stood, 
reachin  with  my  stick,  but  'twan't  no  use.  Jest 
then  the  antlers  give  a  leetle  twist,  an'  I  felt  myself 
goin'.  By  Gosh!  But  I  suffered  fer  a  second.  I 
hed  lost  my  balance,  an'  wuz  slowly  goin'  in  to'rds 
the  walls.  Finally,  I  see  I  had  ter  go.  The  horns 
wuz  a  turnin'  under  me,  an'  so  I  quit  tryin'  ter  bal- 
ance, an'  made  a  dive  fer  that  rope.  I  reached  'er, 
even  though  I  did  batter  my  brains  near  out. 
Twisted  by  my  spring,  the  horns  sounded  like  an  ole 
tunin'-fork,  an'  flew  out  from  under  the  rock  I  had 
piled  on  'em.     They  went  down  past  me.     It  seemed 


KLIAS  PARMLE,  PROSPECTOR  26q 

as  if  they  wuz  in  the  air  a  minute  'fore  they  struck 
an'  sunk  out  o'  sight.  How  fur  down  they  be  I 
dunno,  but  I'm  goin'  up  thar  this  spring  with  nine 
hundred  foot  of  good  strong  line  an'  a  grapple,  an' 
I'm  a-goin'  to  git  'em  out  ef  I  kin.  I'd  'a  had  a  try 
at  it  when  I  crawled  up  the  cut  that  night,  only  I 
hadn't  line  enough  with  me.  Besides,  I  wuz  that 
shook  up  I  didn't  care  to  even  look  over  in  thar  agin 
fer  some  time." 

As  he  finished  his  strange  story,  E1ias  sat  silent, 
and  finally,  with  a  sheepish  look  on  his  face, 
remarked:  "I  s'pose  I'm  a  chump  to  tell  ye  a  yarn 
the  first  time  we  talk  that  brands  me  a  liar,  but 
somehow  I  couldn't  help  it. " 

"Elias,  I  have  reason  to  believe  you  told  the 
truth.  Do  you  want  a  partner  to  help  you  get  those 
horns  out?  I've  been  in  the  mountains  some,  and  I 
think  I  could  be  of  service  to  you." 

"You,  Mr.  Wayland?  You  don't  mean  ter  say 
you'd  go  in  there  along  o'  me?" 

"That  I  do,  and  if  you  are  ready  when  you  have 
finished  your  two  weeks'  work  here  I  will  be.  I'll 
furnish  half  the  grub-stake  and  do  my  share  of  the 
work.  You  may  have  the  horns  and  I'm  to  have 
everything  else  I  find  in  that  pit.     Are  you  agreed?" 

"Course  I  be!  But  what  d'ye  expect  ter  find  in 
thar?  I  don't  believe  fishin  '11  be  wuth  a  continental, 
fer  thar  don't  seem  ter  be  any  livin'  thing  in  the 
durned  hole." 

"Just  what  we  find,  I  don't  know,  but  whatever 
it  is,  it's  mine.     Are  you  agreed?" 

"Yessir;  an  I'll  further  'gree  ter  help  ye  pack  it 


270 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


out  at  fair  pay,  pervided  ye  help  me  what  little  1 
need." 

"All  right,  Elias.     We'll  start  out  two  weeks  from 
next  ^Monday. " 


CHAPTER   XXX 

CLIMBING    TOWARD    MOUNT    OLYMPUS "CAN  YOU   SLEEP 

STANDING    UP?" SNOW  SLIDES    AND    FLOODS 

Sometime  in  the  eighties,  when  the  boom  in 
northwestern  Washington  was  at  its  height,  a  certain 
visionary  capitalist  hired  five  men  to  make  a  trail 
from  Quilacene  back  up  into  the  mountains,  along 
what  is  known  as  Big  River.  This  trail  was  never 
intended  to  be  more  than  a  pack  trail,  but  consider- 
ing the  character  of  the  country,  the  work  was  well 
done.  For  five  long  months  these  men  worked 
faithfully,  with  axe,  saw  and  mattock,  succeeding  in 
a  really  wonderful  undertaking,  for  they  reached  the 
third  branch  of  the  Big  River,  some  forty  miles 
inland,  and  left  a  trail  over  which  a  strong  cayuse 
could  in  three  or  four  days  during  the  summer 
season  pack  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  To  be  sure,  it  was  a  very 
rough  trail.  Many  an  eastern  woodsman,  unused 
to  mountain  climbing,  would  not  have  cared  to 
carry  a  light  rifle  over  it,  but  a  cayuse  of  the  north- 
western mountains  will  go  where  many  men  dare 
not,  and  carry  a  load  at  that.  Remove  his  pack  and 
he  will  jump  or  scramble  over  a  log  three  or  four 
feet  in  diameter,  patiently  awaiting  his  pack  on  the 
other  side.  As  for  a  narrow  path,  cut  into  the  side 
of  a  precipice,  he  thinks  nothing  of  it,  and  is  as 
steady  of  head  as  a  mountain  sheep.     Sometimes,  to 


272 


REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 


be  sure,  a  "fool  kyuse"  comes  to  grief — a  horse  hav- 
ing no  more  horse-sense  than  to  run  his  pack  against 
an  overhanging  rock  and  go  rolling  off  down  into  a 
canon,  breaking  his  neck  and  losing  his  pack,  but 
such  fools  are  scarce.  The  ordinary  cayuse  is  sure- 
footed, an  animal  of  excellent  judgment,  and  can  be 
trusted  to  follow  a  trail,  whether  or  not  his  master 
be  near.  Prospectors  usually  have  two  or  three  of 
these  animals  in  a  train,  and  drive  them  like  sheep 
before  them.  Where  horses  cannot  be  used,  the 
prospector  is  obliged  to  pack  his  own  outfit,  and 
does  it,  carrying  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred 
pounds,  but  it  is  hard  and  dangerous  work. 

The  old  Quilacene  trail  before  mentioned  was  the 
route  chosen  by  Rex  and  Elias  for  the  commence- 
ment of  their  trip.  As  they  knew  it  to  be  impass- 
able for  horses,  by  reason  of  floods,  landslides  and 
windfalls,  they  took  no  horses  in,  but  packed  tent, 
blanket  and  provisions  on  their  backs.  This  outfit 
they  had  chosen  with  great  care,  for  while  Elias 
could  pack  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  Rex  could 
not  carry  more  than  seventy-five  or  eighty,  and  they 
must  arrange  for  a  combined  load  of  not  more  than 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds.  The  two 
packs  were  made  up  of  the  following  supplies: 

Pounds. 

Small  "A"  tent  and  two  heavy  blankets 24 

Flour,  mixed  with  baking  powder - .  36 

Beans,  the  large  blue .18 

Bacon,  for  meat  and  shortening 12 

Coffee,  ground  and  the  very  best,  in  tin  cans 8 

Sugar,  white  granulated,  in  tin  cans 12 

Butter,  in  tin  cans 12 


HERE'S  WHAR  YE  GOT  TO  SLEEP." 
273 


274        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Pounds, 

Rice  and  oatmeal,  equal  quantities 12 

Raisins,  stemmed c . . . .       3 

Apricots,  dried  and  in  tins 5 

Salt,  in  cloth  sacks 8 

Cartridges,  matches,  tobacco,  physic,  liquor,  lini- 
ment, salve,  and  cotton  rags  in  strips 10 

Changes  of  underclothing  and  shoes 8 

Small  axe,  prospector's  hammer,  field  glass,  dyna- 
mite, and  giant  powder 15 

Rope,  wire,  and  strong  line 13 

Small  coffee  pot,   riveted,  frying  pans,  gold  pan, 

cups,  plates,  and  knives 5 

Shotgun  and  rifle 24 

225 

In  addition,  each  had  filled  his  pockets  with  little 
indispensables,  such  as  pins,  needles,  thread,  bits  of 
string,  fish  hooks,  a  good  strong  pocket-knife,  red 
handkerchiefs,  in  short,  everything  but  money. 
Rex,  however,  had  put  into  an  inner  pocket  seven 
five-dollar  bills,  thinking  they  might  be  driven  to  the 
other  coast  and  need  money  to  get  home.  Unknown 
to  Rex,  Elias  had  put  into  his  pack  one  small  paper- 
covered  volume  of  Carlyle's  French  Revolution,  a 
small  Bible,  and  a   Shakespeare  of  the  smallest  size. 

Mrs.  Wayland  had  strongly  objected  to  Rex  mak- 
ing this  trip.  Indeed,  she  had  shed  not  a  few  tears 
when  he  proposed  it,  and  had  she  known  of  the 
crater  Elias  told  of,  over  which  it  might  be  necessary 
to  swing  on  a  small  rope,  it  is  highly  probable  she 
would  never  have  yielded  and  given  her  reluctant 
consent.  Rex  was  so  little  inclined  to  talk  of  his  ex- 
ploits in  mountain  climbing  that  she  had  never  heard 
of  his  adventures  even  after  elk,  and  wdiile  she  had 


CLIMBING  TOWARD  MOIINT  OLYMPUS         2y$ 

a  vague  idea  that  he  had  at  times  scaled  lofty  peaks 
and  crept  along  the  brink  of  tremendous  precipices, 
she  knew  nothing  of  the  particulars.  Rex  was  not 
the  lad  to  deceive  his  mother,  however,  and  had  she 
asked  him  about  these  matters  he  would  in  all  prob- 
ability have  told  her  the  whole  truth.  Knowing  all 
they  did  of  the  treasure  he  expected  to  find,  both 
she  and  Uncle  Festus  strongly  objected  to  his  going, 
but  he  was  insistent,  and  finally  won  their  con- 
sent. 

Uncle  Festus,  with  a  crew  of  his  men,  rowed  the 
two  prospectors  twelve  miles  across  to  Jackson's 
cove,  from  which  place  they  took  the  short  cut 
through  "Burnt  Valley. "  He  also  sent  the  men  to 
carry  their  packs  as  far  as  Big  River,  which  they 
reached  some  time  before  nightfall  and  where  they 
encamped,  the  men  turning  back  there  and  rowing 
home  by  moonlight. 

During  the  first  two  days'  march  they  found  little 
or  no  snow,  and  although  there  was  no  trail  worth 
mentioning,  the  old  trail  having  become  almost 
obliterated,  they  made  fair  progress,  covering  not 
less  than  twelve  miles  the  first  and  ten  the  second 
day.  The  third,  however,  they  began  to  strike 
snow,  and  before  noon  were  obliged  to  travel  along 
the  sides  of  the  mountains  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  river  to  avoid  deep  drifts.  It  was  about 
three  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  that 
Elias  paused  in  a  climb  along  the  steep  mountain 
side  and  remarked:  "I've  a  notion  to  go  straight 
down  here  an'  camp  fer  the  night.  Ahead  is  a 
canon  'bout  four  miles  long,  an'  I'm  'fraid  we  can't 


276  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTl'M. 

git  past  it  'fore  dark.  If  we  can't,  we  may  have  tei* 
sleep  stan' in'  up,  fer  there  ain't  a  level  place  to 
camp  anywhar. ' ' 

"Oh,  pshaw!  Elias.  The  days  are  long  now,  and 
we  can  easily  make  four  miles  in  the  next  four 
hours.  I  say  go  on.  Is  there  a  good  camping  place 
beyond?" 

"Yes;  a  good  place,  an'  that's  why  I'd  like  ter 
reach  it,  but  I'm  'fraid." 

"Oh!  go  on.      I'll  follow  you." 

Muttering  to  himself,  Elias  went  on,  but  after  an 
hour  Rex  could  look  back  and  sec  they  had  not  made 
a  mile,  while  it  seemed  he  was  never  so  tired  in  his 
life.  He  said  nothing,  but  toiled  along  after  his 
guide,  who  seemed  straining  every  nerve  of  his  big 
bod}*  to  make  speed.  Suddenly,  a  black  mass  of 
clouds  swept  down  upon  them,  and  a  blinding  snow- 
storm rendered  travel  almost  impossible.  Once 
Elias  stopped,  turned  square  up  the  mountain  side, 
and  when  Rex  reached  the  place  of  turning,  he  saw 
that  a  huge  lateral  canon  yawned  beside  them. 
Into  this  Elias  might  easily  have  fallen  had  he  not 
been  carefully  feeling  his  way,  for  the  snow  was 
coming  down  in  such  quantities  as  to  obstruct  the 
view  except  for  a  few  feet  around.  At  the  head  of 
this  canon  stood  Elias,  leaning  against  a  huge  tree- 
trunk  and  panting  like  a  tired  dog.  "Here's  whar 
ye  got  to  sleep,"  said  he,  between  gasps. 

"What!  Here?  Why,  there  isn't  a  level  spot  to 
lie  down  on,  to  say  nothing  about  a  fire.  We  surely 
can't  stay  here,  Elias." 

"Well,  we  got  to,  so  that's  all  they  is  of  it.     Sling 


CLIMBING  TOWARD  MOUNT  OLYMPUS        277 

yer  pack  against  the  foot  o'  that  tree  so  'twon't  roll 
down. " 

Rex  did  as  he  was  told,  and  Elias  then  began  to 
kick  the  snow  down  against  the  packs.  From  a 
small  cedar  tree  near  at  hand,  he  began  to  lop  small 
branches  or  plumes,  and  these  he  cast  down,  Rex 
following  his  example,  until  they  had  a  considerable 
quantity,  all  more  or  less  mixed  with  the  wet 
snow. 

"Hurry  now,  an'  git  out  the  blankets  'fore  ye  git 
chilled.  That's  right.  Now  roll  up  Injun  fashion, 
head  an'  all  covered."  Wet  and  weary  as  he  was. 
Rex  did  so,  and  guided  by  Elias  lay  down,  his  feet 
against  the  packs.  Elias  next  rolled  up,  and  with 
a  dexterous  movement  of  one  arm,  threw  the  tent, 
folded  four  double  completely  over  them.  Shut  out 
from  the  storm,  despite  their  wet  clothing,  they  soon 
grew  warm. 

"Sorry  I  can't  give  ye  any  supper,  my  boy,  but 
as  Shakespeare  says,  'our  cake's  dough  on  both 
sides'  fer  to-night." 

"He  says  something  about,  'he  that  stands  on 
slippery  places, '  don't  he?" 

"Fer  sure.  He  makes  Pandulph  say  in  King 
John,  'He  that  stands  on  slippery  places  makes  nice 
of  no  vile  hold  to  stay  him  up.'  " 

"Does  he  say  anything  about  going  to  sleep  with 
a  hungry  stomach?"    • 

"The  only  thing  I  think  on  jest  now  is  what  Friar 
Laurence  said  to  Romeo — 'Adversity's  sweet  milk — 
philosophy — to  comfort  thee. '  I  guess  that's  what 
you'll  have  ter  sup  on  to-night." 


278        REX  WAYLANDS  FORTUNE 

"Oh,  well!  We  might  be  in  a  worse  fix.  I'm  get- 
ting warm." 

"Yes,  an'  you'll  sleep.  You're  better  off'n  some 
kings  to-night.  You  remember  what  King  Henry 
said  one  wakeful  night — 'Not  all  those  laid  in  bed 
majestical  can  sleep  so  soundly  as  the  wretched 
slave. '  ' ' 

"Yes;  but  you  haven't  quoted  all  of  that.  He 
goes  on  to  say,  'Who  with  a  body  filled  and  with 
vacant  mind  gets  him  to  rest,  crammed  with  dis- 
tressful bread.'  Now,  I  wish  I  was  crammed  even 
with  some  of  that  distressed  bread  you  make.  A 
cold  dough -gad  would  go  fine  about  now." 

"Wall,  if  ye're  goin'  ter  feel  so  'bout  it,  I  kin  give 
ye  a  mighty  good  substitute.  Whar's  them  raisins? 
Clear  down  in  the  pack,  I  bet." 

"No,  they  ain't,  Elias.  They're  right  on  top, 
where  I  put  'em. " 

"Wall,  ef  that's  the  case,  s'pose  I'll  have  ter  stop 
yer  hunger.  I've  alius  heerd  that  a  child  couldn't 
sleep  on  an  empty  stummick.  Lay  still  now,  an'  I'll 
git  a  handful  an'  poke  'em  down  where  you  kin  reach 
'em.  Thar!  chaw  them  well,  an'  it'll  stop  hunger 
better 'n  anything  I  know,  'cept  reg'lar  vittles." 
Rex  did  this,  and  to  his  surprise  felt  as  if  he  had 
partaken  of  a  light  supper.  He  fell  asleep  before 
Elias  had  completed  the  adjustment  of  their  cover- 
ing, and  despite  their  slanting  bed,  slept  like  a  top 
for  eight  hours.  When  he  awoke  the  dawn  was  just 
creeping  into  the  valley,  and  in  all  directions  snow 
was  sliding  down  toward  the  river,  which  roared 
loudly  from  the  rocky  channel  so  far  below. 


CLIMBING  TOWARD  MOUNT  OLYMPUS        279 

"Hear  the  snow  slide  in  the  night?"  inquired 
Elias. 

"Never  heard  a  thing." 

"I  shud  'a  thought  ye'd  'a  heerd  yerself  snore. 
Blamed  ef  I  don't  think  that  snore  o'  yourn  wuz 
what  started  the  slide.  Look  a'  there.  Now  don't 
ye  wish  ye'd  'a  kep'  on?" 

Rex  looked  and  grew  pale,  for  out  beyond  the 
heavy  timber  in  which  they  had  been  sleeping  he 
could  see  a  clear  space,  fully  a  half-mile  wide.  As 
there  was  no  snow  upon  it,  it  was  plain  that  it  had 
gone  down  during  the  night.  Starting  well  up 
toward  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  the  entire  face  of 
the  upper  slope  had  moved  down  some  two  miles,  to 
pile  up  in  a  huge  mass  at  the  entrance  to  the  canon. 
Above  this  dam,  a  lake  of  unknown  depths  had 
formed,  and  the  water  was  setting  back  for  miles 
up  the  valley,  submerging  the  tallest  tree-tops.  It 
had  now  reached  a  level,  where  it  could  force  its 
way  across  this  jam,  and  it  was  this  fall  which  had 
increased  the  roar. 

"When  that  thing  went,  the  hull  dern  airth  shook. 
I  cudn't  even' hear  you  snore,  an'  I  thought  at  first 
it  had  waked  ye  up,  but  when  the  racket  stopped  I 
heerd  yer  reg'lar  stroke  agin.  I  tell  ye,  boy,  it's 
lucky  we  didn't  camp  up  in  that  valley.  We  might 
'a  got  ketched  by  the  water.  See  the  bottom  o'  that 
slide?  Wall,  it's  soapstun  clay.  Got  wet  up  an' 
started,  takin'  a  crust  of  airth  from  forty  to  two 
hundred  foot  deep,  an'  bigger'n  all  North  Seattle. 
See  how  them  ten-foot  trees  is  twisted  an'  broke, 
like  so  many  straws,     I  s'pose  'twas  somethin.'  lilsQ 


280       REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

this  Moses  see  when  'the  Lord  before  him  passed.' 
Wall,  hustle  inter  yer  pack  straps  now.  We  got  ter 
git  outen  this  'fore  the  snow  starts  ter  meltin'  an' 
more  slides  go  kitin'  down.  A  high  flat  is  what  I'm 
lookin  fer  now.  I'd  like  a  few  beans  an'  a  cup  o' 
coffee.  Them  raisins  '11  sustain  life,  but  I  like  'em 
best  in  spotted  pup.     Ever  eat  spotted  pup?" 

"No;  what  is  it?" 

"Rice,  with  raisins  in.  It's  great,  I  tell  ye,  with 
butter  an'  sugar  on.  Come  'long  now."  Their 
march  for  the  next  two  hours  was  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous,  but  they  reached  level  ground 
above  the  canon,  and  scraping  off  the  snow,  made  a 
good  camp  and  prepared  a  good  breakfast,  which  they 
finished  at  n  a.  m.  As  they  started  on,  the  sun's  heat 
was  perceptible,  and  snowslides  small  and  great  were 
starting  everywhere.  Their  course  for  the  remainder 
of  the  day  was  through  a  wider  but  winding  valley, 
and  at  times  they  might  have  been  caught  by  snow- 
slides  had  it  not  been  for  the  width  of  the  valley. 
They  crossed  the  river  on  logs  fourteen  times  before 
dark,  and  after  climbing  a  steep  ascent  down  which 
the  river  tumbled  in  cascades,  came  out  into  a  broad 
mountain  bottom,  eight  or  nine  miles  long,  as  Elias 
said,  and  nearly  two  miles  wide.  Here  among  the 
huge  tree  trunks  they  pitched  their  tent,  made  a 
thick  bed  of  fir  and  spruce  limbs,  and  prepared  to 
enjoy  one  long  night's  rest.  Comforted  by  a  good 
supper  and  dry  clothes,  Rex  soon  fell  asleep,  but 
Elias  lay  awake  in  trouble.  "Don't  like  the  look  o' 
things,"  he  muttered  to  himself,  as,  supporting  his 
head  on  one  hand,  he  lay  staring  into  the  fir-bark 


CLIMBING  TOWARD  MOUNT  OLYMPUS        281 

fire.  "Never  see  such  signs  o'  snow  at  this  season. 
Things  is  at  least  a  month  behind  time.  No  doubt 
all  this  snow  is  rain  down  on  the  sound,  but  it's 
snow  up  here,  an'  there'll  be  more  'fore  mornin'  by 
the  looks  o'  things.  Wall,  if  it  comes,  let  it.  We're 
here  first,"  and  lying  down,  he  was  soon  asleep. 

Neither  awoke  until  broad  daylight,  and  when 
they  did  each  stared  dubiously  at  the  other.  There 
was  five  feet  of  fresh  snow  outside,  and  it  was  still 
snowing  furiously.  For  a  time  their  tent  had  slid 
the  snow  from  its  sides  and  peak,  but  now  that,  too, 
was  covered,  and  on  all  sides  cf  it  snow  was  shoulder 
deep.  The  campfire  place  was  buried  under  three 
feet  of  snow,  and  they  must  find  kindlings  and  bark 
before  they  could  start  another  fire. 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

SNOWED  IN COMFORT  IN  A  LOG  HUT " DO  YOU  SEE  THE 

PASS?" 

"  'Now  is  the  winter  of  our  discontent  made  glori- 
ous summer'  —  No;  I'm  dinged  ef  'tis!  We're 
pris'ners,  my  boy.  Did  ye  know  it?  Ef  'twas 
Feberary  or  earlier,  I  wudn't  give  a  picayune  fer 
our  chances  o'  gettin'  out  o'  here  alive.  As  'tis,  we 
may  lay  here  two  days  cr  two  weeks — sartinly  not 
longer,  fer  the  spring  chinookers  air  gettin'  mighty 
frequent." 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  liability  of  our  being 
held  here  two  weeks?"  inquired  Rex,  in  dismay. 
"Why,   we  could  go  back,  couldn't  we?" 

"Ef  yer  wanter  see  how  fur  yer  kin  go  through 
this  snow,  an'  'tain't  quit  yit,  by  a  long  shot,  jest 
waller  out  to  that  stub  yonder  with  an  axe  an'  cut 
off  some  slivers.  'Tain't  more'n  three  hundred  yard, 
but  I'll  bet  ye  don't  get  there  in  less'n  fifteen 
minutes,  an'  that  yer  all  tired  out  when  ye  do." 

With  a  smile  of  derision,  Rex  took  up  the  axe  and 
started  out,  but  to  his  surprise  found  he  made  little 
headway.  This  snow  was  damp  and  heavy  beyond 
any  he  had  ever  seen  before,  yet  lay  so  loose  that  he 
sank  in  it  to  his  armpits,  and  could  hardly  flounder 
along.  He  was  twenty  minutes  reaching  the  stub, 
and  was  then  so  tired  he  could  hardly  stand,  but 
rather  felt  like  lying  down  and  giving  up.     "What 

282 


SNOWED  IN  283 

could  I  do  with  a  pack  on  my  back?"  thought  he. 
"I  couldn't  make  a  mile  a  day."  Then,  too,  the 
warmth  of  his  body  in  exercise  had  caused  his  cloth- 
ing to  absorb  dampness,  and  he  was  as  wet  as  if 
dipped  in  a  river.  "I'm  wet  through  already, 
Elias, "  he  called  out. 

"Yes;  I  persoom  ye  be.  It's  different  exercisirC 
in  snow  from  what  'tis  layin'  down  in  it  with 
blankets  an'  cedar  boughs  round  ye." 

Rex  soon  had  an  armful  of  kindlings  hewed  off 
the  dry  stub,  and  started  back,  but  he  found  that 
even  this  light  load  rendered  his  progress  almost  as 
difficult  as  before,  although  a  path  had  been 
broken.  Elias  had  been  using  the  gold  pan  as  a 
shovel,  and  now  had  a  pit  some  eight  feet  deep 
shoveled  out  before  the  front  door.  In  this  he 
started  a  small  fire,  and  taking  the  axe  wallowed 
out  to  the  nearest  fir  tree,  from  which  he  began 
hewing  bark,  while  Rex  hovered  over  the  fire  and 
shivered. 

"Git  a  move  on  ye,  boy,  an'  pack  this  bark  over 
to  the  fire.  What  a  dispensation  o'  Providence  fir 
bark  is!  Jest  think  of  a  green  bark  six  inches  thick, 
er  near  it,  that'll  almost  light  from  a  match,  an'  that 
burns  like  coal !  I  tell  ye,  fir  bark's  saved  many  a 
man's  life,  when  he's  ketched  in  this  way.  See  that 
fire  blaze  up,  will  ye?  Snows  fast  'nough  ter  put 
any  ordinary  fire  out,  but  our'n  seems  burnin'  all  the 
better.  Now  we'll  go  while  we're  wet,  cut  a  han- 
speek  an'  pry  off  a  waggin  load  o'  that  bark  in  'bout 
ten  minutes.  Oh,  we  ain't  a-goin'  to  fre&ze.  We'll 
lay  here,  snug  as  a  bug  in  a  rug.     I'll  read  an'  you 


SNOWED  IN,  IN  THE  MOUNTAIN  CABIN. 
284 


SNOWED  IN  2&5 

kin  larn  to  chaw  terbacker  ter  pass  away  the  time. 
Once  when  I  was  up  in  the  Snoquelmie  region,  on 
the  headwaters,  away  above  them  three  hundred 
foot  falls,  I  got  ketched  like  this  in  a  cabin,  in  the 
center  of  a  little  nateral  medder  like  ye'll  see  over 
in  these  valleys  beyond  the  pass  we're  makin'  fer; 
an'  there  wan't  a  fir  tree  in  four  hundred  yard  er 
more.  That  snow  kim  on  in  the  night,  an'  'fore  it 
quit  'twuz  twelve  foot  deep — cl'ar  up  'bove  the 
eaves  o'  that  shack.  Wall,  it  turned  round  quite 
cold,  but  not  cold  enough  ter  freeze  a  crust,  an'  I 
had  ter  waller  out  an'  pack  that  bark  in.  I'd  work 
'bout  five  hours  ter  git  enough  bark  ter  do  my 
cookin'.  The  rest  o'  the  time  I  laid  rolled  up  in  my 
blankets,  readin'  Plutarch's  Lives,  an'  another  book 
I  had  with  me.  I  wuz  in  that  cabin  seventeen  days, 
an'  if  I  hedn'thed  a  purty  good  grub-stake  with  me, 
I'd  'a  starved.  As  'twuz,  I  et  my  little  dog  an'  a  rat 
I  ketched  in  the  cabin.  Tell  folks  back  east  'bout 
this,  an'  they'd  think  I  wuz  a  first-class  liar, 
wouldn't  they?  Say!  it's  snowed  a  foot  sence  we 
got  up.  I  ain't  sure  but  we'll  have  consid'able  of  a 
storm  right  here  yet." 

While  Elias  was  cooking  breakfast,  Rex  scraped 
all  the  snow  off  the  tent,  banking  it  up  about  the 
sides,  and  then  both  crawled  inside  and  sat  there  in 
the  heat,  their  wet  clothes  steaming,  and  ate  like 
famished  wolves.  "This  is  the  kind  o'  snow," 
declared  Elias,  "what  kills  off  game  in  this  region. 
Ye  won't  see  so  much  as  a  deer  up  through  here  fer 
thirty  mile  er  more.  It's  too  fur  from  tide  water 
fer  'em  to  git  down  in  case  of  a  sudden  storm,  an' 


286  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

too  fur  from  the  pass  ter  allow  'em  to  go  over  ter 
the  valleys  in  the  interior,  where  snow  never  falls 
m'ore'n  a  foot  er  two,  an'  then  don't  stay  long. 
Queer  'bout  them  valleys.  I  expect  it's  the  chinook 
winds  an'  the  breezes  from  the  Japan  current  com- 
bined makes  'em  free  from  snow.  Say!  we  got 
seven  foot  o'  snow  this  minit.  I'll  say  it  fer  yer 
comfort,  we're  liable  ter  git  up  ter-morrer  mornin' 
an'  find  the  snow  half  gone,  with  a  rain  movin'  it 
fast.  By  Gum!  I've  made  a  discovery.  Cur'ous  I 
didn't  see  that  afore.  Right  over  there's  a  cedar 
ten  or  twelve  foot  through.  We  won't  be  bothered 
keepin'  fire  to-night.     We'll  burn  that." 

"Yes,  but  it's  green,"  interposed  Rex. 

"An'  so  be  you,  if  ye  don't  know  that  every  cedar 
in  all  this  sound  region,  'bove  eighteen  inches 
through,  is  rotten  at  the  heart  an'  full  o'  gum. 
Light  a  fire  at  the  root  an'  it'll  burn  from  twelve  to 
forty-eight  hours  an'  fall.  That  tree's  good  fer 
twenty  four  hours  'fore  it  falls,  an'  fer  twenty-four 
after  the  stump  an'  trunk'll  be  a  mass  o'  red-hot 
coals.  We'll  light  that  ter-night,  specially  if  it  leans 
away  from  us. " 

It  did  lean  away,  and  at  seven  they  started  a  fire 
between  two  of  its  great  spur  roots.  For  an  hour  or 
more  it  sputtered  and  burned  slowly,  when  there 
was  a  pop,  and  out  from  its  great  trunk,  fifty  feet 
above,  came  a  wreath  of  smoke.  This  increased 
within  the  next  hour  to  a  tongue  of  flame,  and  now 
up  inside  this  enormous  tree  the  flames  were  fiercely 
roaring,  while  from  several  other  places  higher  up 
came  smoke. 


SNOWED  IN  287 

"That'll  fall  'bout  ter-morrer  noon,"  remarked 
Elias,  as  he  rolled  up  in  his  blanket,  "an'  it's 
mighty  lucky  'tain't  nearer  the  tent,  or  the  heat'd 
drive  us  out.  As  'tis,  I  bet  you  four  bits  you  see 
bare  ground  all  'long  between  here  and  it. "  At 
two  o'clock  the  next  morning  Rex  was  awakened  by 
the  heat.  The  entire  tree  was  now  burning  like 
some  huge  blast-furnace,  and  all  about,  for  several 
feet,  the  snow  was  thawed  to  the  ground.  The  next 
morning,  as  Elias  had  prophesied,  it  was  burning 
more  fiercely  than  ever.  The  fall  of  snow  had 
ceased,  and  a  warm  rain  was  fast  lowering:  the  o-reat 
white  mass.  At  1:30  p.  m.,  the  great  tree  fell, 
breaking  off  seventy-five  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
tall  stub  continued  to  burn  steadily,  however,  and  was 
still  furnishing  great  heat  at  the  time  they  retired. 
The  next  morning  it  was  smoldering,  being  burned 
down  to  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  weather  had  changed  to  freezing,  and  on  top  of 
the  two  or  three  feet  of  snow  remaining  heavy  crust 
had  formed. 

"We'll  up  stakes  an'  outen  this  'bout  eight 
o'clock,"  remarked  Elias.  "Ought  to  make  Camp 
Seven  to-day  if  the  cold  holds. ' '  By  eight  or  a 
little  later  they  were  started,  and  over  the  snow 
crust  and  comparatively  level  surface  made  rapid 
time.  "I  kalkerlate  we're  makin'  three  mile  an 
hour.  Keep  this  up  six  hours,  with  a  half-hour  fer 
a  bite,  an'  we're  at  Camp  Seven." 

"Where  and  what  is  this  Camp  Seven,  Elias?" 

"Oh,  jest  a  rough  box  o'  logs,  four  foot  high 
inside  an'  bout  6x8  foot  on  the  ground.     The  Marple 


288  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

boys  who  discovered  this  pass  we're  makin'  fer 
helped  me  build  it  one  August  day  away  back  in 
'87.  Kalkerlated  it  fer  a  stoppin'  place  an'  a  store- 
house fer  picks,  powder,  an'  so  on.  It's  'bout 
twelve  mile  up  this  third  branch  we're  goin'  to  take, 
an'  'bout  six  mile  this  side  o'  the  pass.  It's  down 
in  among  the  heavy  timber,  an'  that  year  thar  wan't 
any  snow  there  after  July  till  September.  Kinder 
queer  'bout  this  country.  I've  seen  snow  here  in 
August,  an',  agin,  I've  gone  through  the  pass  on 
bare  trail  an'  green  grass  as  early  as  the  20th  of 
April.  No  tellin'  what  '11  be.  That's  what  makes 
it  so  dangerous.  Here's  the  Third  Branch  now. 
Turn  squar'  to  the  west  here.  Jest  'bout  eighteen 
mile  to  the  skyline  yonder,  an'  all  the  way  up  hill." 
While  talking  they  had  been  rounding  an  immense 
dome  of  solid  rock,  at  the  base  of  which  they  could 
hear  the  small  river  gurgling  along,  beneath  the 
snow  or  through  it,  where  the  crust  had  broken  or 
fallen  in;  for  in  many  places  this  Third  Branch,  here 
a  rapid  running  stream  not  more  than  six  or  eight 
feet  wide,  was  entirely  hidden.  Such  timber  as  they 
now  walked  through  is  rarely  seen.  The  mountains 
rose  from  1,500  to  2,000  feet  high  on  either  side  of  a 
broad  bottom,  and  in  this  the  trees  averaged  from 
six  to  ten  feet  in  diameter  and  three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  while  the  ground  was  as  free  from  under- 
brush as  a  park.  'Straight  away  before  them,  but 
slanting  sharply  upward,  stretched  the  valley,  all 
white  with  glittering  snow  above  the  tree  line,  and 
ending  seemingly  against  the  very  sky  in  a  V-shaped 
notch.     Even  there  the  forest  did  not  entirely  disap- 


SNOWED  IN  289 

pear,  for  occasionally  was  to  be  seen  a  patch  of  pine 
or  fir,  which  even  at  that  distance  they  could  judge 
to  be  stunted  and  small.  While  taking  this  view, 
they  had  clambered  up  to  the  foot  of  the  south 
precipice,  leaving  their  packs  below.  Along  this 
great  bare  wall  of  rock  their  view  was  unobstructed. 

"That  leetle  notch  is  the  skyline  of  the  pass," 
remarked  Elias,  "an'  we  may  go  over  that  to-morrer 
at  noon,  or  we  may  never  go  over  it.  At  any  rate, 
we  kin,  I  think,  make  Camp  Seven  by  keepin'  'long 
to  the  left  whar  the  sun  don't  strike  an'  wbar  the 
crust'll  hold." 

It  was  now  9:30  a.  m.,  and  they  hurried  on  until 
noon,  when  they  stopped  long  enough  to  eat  a  cold 
piece  of  dough-gad  and  drink  a  cup  or  two  of  hot 
coffee  each.  The  traveling  was  now  easy,  though 
all  the  way  up  hill,  and  they  made  good  progress, 
but  became  very  tired.  At  4:45,  with  a  yell  of 
exultation,  Elias  slid  from  under  his  pack  and  started 
on  a  run  toward  a  knoll  of  snow. 

"What  is  it,  Elias?"  called  Rex,  running  after 
him. 

"Camp  Seven;  what  d'ye  s'pose?  Here  she  is, 
an'  now  less  dig  her  out."  Unknown  to  Rex  the 
snow  had  increased  in  depth  as  they  ascended,  and 
they  were  now  to  find  their  camp  under  about  ten 
feet  of  solid  snow. 

"May  find  a  b'ar  in  winter  quarters  in  that  old 
camp,"  panted  Elias,  as  he  shoveled  away  with  the 
gold  pan.  "Hello!  I'm  down  to  the  door.  Now 
look  out!"  and  he  stepped  back  from  a  hole  in  the 
logs,  some  two  feet  square.     "Gimme  a  piece  o'  the 


49°        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

pitch  pine,"  he  requested,  and  Rex  handed  a 
splinter  to  him  out  of  the  small  bundle  in  one  of  the 
packs.  Elias  lighted  this,  and  going  down  into  the 
hole  head  first,  his  hunting  knife  between  his  teeth, 
peered  carefully  inside.  "It's  all  right!  no  b'ar 
here!"  he  called  out,  and  Rex  followed,  to  find  him 
with  a  small  fire  started  in  one  corner.  The  smoke 
from  this  soon  filled  the  log  box,  and  both  scrambled 
out,  sneezing,  gasping  and  weeping.  They  dug  a 
hole  down  through  the  snow  to  a  corner  of  the 
cabin,  where  Elias  declared  a  "hole  had  been  cut  a 
puppose  fer  that  there  gol  darned  smudge  ter  git  out 
at."  This  was  found  and  opened,  the  smoke  did  "git 
out,"  and  the  fire  burned  better.  The  interior  of 
this  box  was  floored  with  small  branches  and  moss 
from  the  mountain  maple,  and  they  found  it  very 
comfortable.  They  soon  had  supper  cooking,  and 
found  no  difficulty  in  making  coffee,  although  the 
beans  were  boiled  for  five  hours  without  softening. 

"  'Fraid  we'll  hev  to  give  it  up,"  remarked  Elias, 
ruefully.  Altitude's  too  great.  I  hev  cooked  beans 
here,  but  it's  a  long  job.  Now  another  thing — from 
this  on,  ye  mustn't  drink  any  more  water  till  it's 
b'iled,  fer  this  snow  water  so  cluss  up  ter  the  banks 
is  sure  ter  give  ye  the  mountain  fever,  in  which  case, 
I'd  be  obleeged  ter  pack  ye  out  to  the  sound  on  my 
back." 

Their  small  fire  rendered  them  very  comfortable 
that  night,  although  it  froze  solidly  outside,  and  at 
an  early  hour  they  left  Camp  Seven  on  a  good  hard 
crust,  feeling  quite  fresh.  Up,  up,  they  journeyed,  for 
nearly  two  hours,  having  made  about  four  miles, 


SNOWED  IN  291 

and  nearly  reached  the  last  patch  of  timber,  when 
through  the  crust  went  Elias  to  his  armpits,  and 
there  in  the  bright  warm  sunlight  he  looked  around 
with  rueful  face. 

"It's  no  use,  my  boy.  We  can't  make  the  pass 
ter  day,  an'  we  may  not  fer  a  week,  'less  it  grows 
colder.  There's  forty  foot  or  more  o'  snow  under 
us,  an'  I  tell  ye,  we're  in  danger  o'  snowslides 
here."  As  he  spoke  there  was  an  ominous  rumble, 
seemingly  from  somewhere  far  beneath  their  feet, 
and  the  great  snowfield  above  suddenly  moved  down 
toward  the  center  of  the  valley,  carrying  several 
acres  of  snow  and  rolling  over  immense  boulders  as 
easily  as  a  boy  could  roll  a  marble.  Elias  grew  very 
pale,  and  Rex's  teeth  chattered  from  fear  and  cold. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 

A   PERILOUS   MARCH DOUBLE  GRAVE  IN   THE  SNOW THE 

PASS   AT    LAST 

"I  didn't  think  the  blamed  thing  'ud  start  quite 
so  quick,"  said  Elias.  "  'Taint  more'n  nine 
o'clock,  an'  here  is  slides  a-startin'  in  the  meanest 
place  in  the  hull  darned  mountains.  Now  we  can't 
go  back,  an'  we  can't  stay  here.  We  got  ter  reach 
that  patch  o' timber  up  there  a  half-mile  ahead,  even 
if  we  go  without  our  packs.  There  we're  safe,  fer 
that  half-acre  or  more  o'  timber  is  on  a  little  knoll 
'bout  fifty  foot  higher'n  the  rest  o'  this  pass.  Seems 
to  be  the  nub  of  a  rock  what's  clinched  down  in 
Chiny.  Anyway,  it  never  moves,  no  matter  how 
much  is  slidin',  an'  it's  safe.  Kim  on  now;  no 
givin'  up,"  and  he  floundered  along  beneath  his 
pack,  sometimes  crawling,  sometimes  wallowing, 
and  sometimes  out  of  sight  altogether.  Within  an 
hour  he  had  made  a  half  of  the  distance,  and  looked 
back  to  see  Rex  tired  out  and  lying  helplessly  in  the 
deep  snow. 

"How  ye  makin'  it  back  there,  boy?" 

"Not  very  well,  I'm  afraid,"  called  out  Rex, 
faintly. 

"Oh!  ye  mustn't  give  up.  Try  it  a  ways  without 
a  pack." 

"No;  I'm  coming  up  with  you  now — pack  and 
all,"  and  much  to  Elias'  surprise  Rex  floundered  to 

292 


A  PERILOUS  MARCH  293 

within  a  few  yards  of  him,  when  he  collapsed  again. 

"That  won't  do,  boy.  Ye  did  that  on  yer  nerve. 
Now  rest  awhile.  Then  pick  up  yer  pack  an'  come 
slowly  along.  Be  patient  an'  moderate,  like  an  ole 
ox.  Don't  git  fractious,  like  a  fiery  hoss,  an'  cork 
yer  self. 

Rex  took  this  advice,  and  the  two  worked  slowly 
along  together.  However,  they  were  two  hours 
making  the  next  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  timber, 
and  twice  saw  small  snowslides  start  from  above  the 
track  they  had  made  in  coming,  and  sweep  it  out 
forever.  Each  slide  carried  five  thousand  tons  or 
more  of  snow  and  rock,  and  had  they  been  in  the 
way  they  must  have  perished.  On  reaching  the 
timber,  they  were  surprised  to  find  the  crust  hard, 
and  they  walked  up  the  steep  incline  as  if  on 
asphalt. 

"Why  is  this,  Elias?" 

"The  shade  o'  these  trees  makes  the  difference. 
If  it  had  ben  cloudy  to-day  an'  as  cold  as  'tis,  we'd  a 
gone  over  the  pass  by  nocn.  Ye  see,  that  sun  this 
time  o'  year  beats  down  terrible  strong  on  them 
rocky  walls,  an'  you  notice  'bout  all  the  snowslides 
starts  from  up  against  them  walls.  Now  we  may, 
unless  we  git  started  'bout  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  lay  here  fer  a  week;  but  I've  got  an  idee 
it'll  freeze  ter-night — alius  does  up  here  after  one 
o'  these  clear  bright  days,  even  in  August,  an'  if  it 
does,  we'll  go  over  the  pass  before  seven  o'clock. 
Wall!  it's  one  now.  Less  have  somethin'  to  eat." 
As  he  finished,  he  picked  up  his  axe  and  attacked 
one  of  the  stunted  pines  of  the  grove  in  which  they 


DID  YOU  EVER  SEE  SUCH  A  WHIRL  OF  FLAME! 


A  PERILOUS  MARCH  295 

were  standing.  "That  little  cuss  may  'a  ben  dead  a 
thousand  year,"  he  grunted,  as  he  endeavored  in 
vain  to  get  a  large  chip  from  it,  "an'  it's  ben 
hardenin'  all  the  time.  Mighty  near  as  hard  as  a 
stun."  The  tree  was  not  more  than  ten  inches  in 
diameter,  and  ordinarily  Elias  could  have  felled  one 
of  its  size  in  five  minutes,  but  this  one  occupied  him 
a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Near  it  stood  another,  also 
dead,  but  not  as  hard,  which  Elias  declared  hadn't 
"ben  dead  more 'n  five  hundred  year. "  These  two 
made  kindling,  and  across  them  green  trees,,  cut 
from  the  thick  growth,  were  thrown,  burning 
fiercely  and  with  great  heat  on  account  of  the  pitch 
and  resin  in  them.  And  now  a  singular  event 
occurred.  The  fire  had  just  begun  to  leap  up  and  a 
pot  of  coffee  was  making,  when  flame  shot  in  all 
directions  above  and  around  their  heads;  there  was  a 
roar  as  of  some  rushing  wind,  and  the  flame,  having 
touched  and  blackened  every  tree  in  this  big  grove, 
was  gone.  They  must  have  doubted  their  eyes  and 
ears,  but  for  the  fact  that  a  pall  of  black  smoke 
floated  up  the  pass  toward  the  skyline. 

"What  in  the  world  made  that,  Elias?  Did  you 
ever  see  such  a  whirl  of  flame  in  all  your  life?  And 
so  quick,  too!" 

"Yes,  I've  seen  it.  That  was  the  gum,  rawsin 
an'  pitch  what  comes  out  o'  these  trees  at  this 
season.     A  leetle  later  they'd  'a  burnt  worse.  " 

After  felling  a  few  more  trees  across  the  fire, 
Elias  declared  his  intention  of  going  to  the  skyline 
of  the  pass.  Leaving  their  packs  and  taking  only  a 
gun,    they    started    out,    to    find   the    snow    already 


296        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

forming  a  thin  crust  as  the  sun's  rays  grew  more 
slanting.  By  traveling  along  the  south  wall  in  the 
shade,  they  could  walk  on  this,  and  they  made  the 
mile  and  a  half  to  the  skyline  before  five  o'clock. 
Here  they  had  expected  a  grand  view,  and  especially 
a  view  of  the  green  valleys  Elias  had  promised,  but 
in  this  they  were  disappointed.  Since  starting  out, 
a  vast  quantity  of  clouds  and  fog  had  rolled  up  all 
the  main  valleys  from  the  north,  east  and  west,  and 
they  could  only  look  out  across  the  sea  of  cloud,  up 
through  which  snow-capped  mountains,  with  here 
and  there  bare  wind-swept  rocks,  reared  their  heads 
like  islets  and  icebergs  on  a  silent  ocean. 

"How  still  it  is  up  here!"  remarked  Rex.  As  he 
spoke  his  voice  had  a  hollow,  far-away  sound,  and 
seemed  carried  from  him  by  the  circling  winds  which 
moaned  about  the  bare  rocky  walls. 

"Yes;  an'  what's  more,  it's  goin'  ter  be  darnation 
cold  'fore  long.  Let's  climb  down."  The  return 
was  not  difficult,  and  within  forty-five  minutes  they 
had  leaped,  rolled  and  wallowed  down  to  the  patch 
of  timber,  where  they  found  the  fire  burning  furi- 
ously in  a  sort  of  well  it  had  thawed  for  itself  in  the 
deep  snow.  They  were  disappointed  that  it  had 
not  thawed  out  a  larger  section,  for  it  was  not  above 
twenty  feet  across,  though  now  eight  feet  or  more 
deep;  and  they  determined  to  build  a  still  larger  fire 
that  would  thaw  out  a  camping  place.  Elias  swung 
the  axe  steadily,  with  expert,  powerful  blows,  for  an 
hour,  while  Rex  dragged  brush  and  logs  to  this 
well  and  tossed  them  in.  By  this  time  they  had  going 
a  fire  they  were  confident  would  last  until  mom- 


A  PERILOUS  MARCH  297 

ing,  the  heat  of  which  was  so  great  that  they  could 
not  stand  within  fifteen  feet  of  the  brink  of  the 
well.  They  started  another  small  fire  for  cooking-, 
and  after  supper,  as  it  was  nearly  dark,  went  over  to 
the  big  fire  to  begin  preparations  for  the  night.  To 
their  chagrin,  they  found  it  was  burning  so  fiercely 
that  they  could  not  trust  themselves  within  the  pit  it 
had  created.  They  had  expected  to  find  a  large 
place  thawed  out,  and  so  there  was — a  twelve  or 
fourteen  foot  well,  but  it  was  not  thirty  feet  wide, 
and  its  sides  were  ice  down  which  trickled  infinitesi- 
mal streams  of  water.  To  be  sure,  it  was  thawing, 
but  not  before  midnight  would  the  fire  be  low 
enough  or  the  sides  thawed  out  far  enough  for  them 
to  be  able  to  camp  in  the  pit,  while  at  present  the 
slant  was  such — the  pit  being  basin-shaped — that  a 
start  from  the  brink  would  be  pretty  sure  to  land 
the  venturer  feet  first  in  that  glowing  fire.  To  sleep 
upon  the  snow  outside  was  to  lose  all  advantage  of 
the  fire,  and  so  they  decided  to  cut  a  trench  down 
one  side  of  the  pit  that  would  enable  them  to  lie  with 
their  feet  to  the  fire,  and  some  eight  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  crust.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  when 
they  finished  this  task,  so  hard  was  the  snow,  which 
Elias  declared  had  lain  there  since  Columbus  dis- 
covered America.  One  worked  in  the  pit  with  an 
axe,  cutting  great  blocks  of  the  icy  snow,  which  he 
threw  up  to  the  other,  who  in  turn  threw  it  back  out 
of  the  way.  The  trench,  or  grave,  as  they  called  it, 
being  finally  completed,  they  threw  icy  brush  into 
the  bottom,  rolled  up  in  their  blankets,  and,  pulling 
the  tent  over  them,   soon  fell  asleep.      They  were 


298        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

very  tired,  and  slept  heavily,  their  feet  and  limbs 
being  warm  and  comfortable,  but  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning  Rex  was  awakened  by  a  numb  pain  on 
the  side  of  his  face.  He  sat  up,  and  by  the  dim  light 
saw  that  Elias'  ear,  where  his  long  hair  did  not 
cover  it,  was  white.     He  at  once  awakened  him. 

"Why,  the  hull  side  o'  yer  face  is  froze,  an'  yer 
ear  too,"  exclaimed  Elias,  as  he  sat  up.  "Ye  see, 
that  dasted  fire  got  low  an'  the  frost  fell.  I  tell  ye, 
we  had  a  cold  night  fer  the  sound  region,  even  if 
it  is  May.  I  kalkerlate  thar  must  be  forty  degrees 
difference  between  here  an'  the  sound.  Now,  down 
thar,  even  when  we  left,  the  fruit  trees  were  through 
blossomin',  an'  thar  ain't  ben  a  trace  o'  frost  down 
along  the  coast  in  a  month.  But  then,  that's  6,500 
foot  lowcr'n  we  are,  an'  fifty  mile  nearer  tide  water 
— water  kept  partly  warm  all  winter  by  the  Jap  cur- 
rent. Clap  some  snow  on  that  face,  an'  keep 
puttin'  it  on.  Don't  go  nigh  the  fire,  but  put  snow 
on  an'  gently  rub  it.  'Twont  be  any  wusser'n  a 
sunburn  if  ye  do."  Elias  now  applied  snow  to  his 
own  ear,  and  then  bustled  round  preparing  break- 
fast. He  declared  they  must  start  by  five  o'clock, 
and  that  the  crust  was  now  in  condition.  Even  up 
that  extreme  slant  they  could  make  the  mile  and  a 
half  in  two  hours.  This  they  did,  and  at  seven 
o'clock  on  the  14th  day  of  May  Rex  looked  out  upon 
the  grandest  view  of  his  life,  a  view  that  probably 
not  more  than  twenty-five  or  thirty  men  now  living 
have  ever  beheld,  and  one  that  is  undoubtedly  the 
fairest,  wildest  and  most  wonderful  in  all  the  north- 
west. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 

ON   PISGAH'S  LOFTY  HEIGHT  I   STAND A   CANAAN  AMONG 

SNOWPEAKS 

As  Rex  and  Elias  toiled  up  the  slope  that  morn- 
ing, the  stars  which  had  twinkled  so  brightly  in  the 
steel-like  dome  above  slowly  faded  away,  and  pale 
beams  of  light  shot  across  and  changed  that  dome 
from  steel  to  azure  blue.  As  they  neared  the  sky- 
line, it  too  had  changed  from  black  to  a  blue,  darker 
than  the  blue  of  its  background.  Finally,  they 
could  see  over  it — it  was  skyline  no  longer — and 
they  now  beheld  a  long,  hog-backed  ridge  of  snow, 
apparently  close  behind. 

"Mount  Olympus,"  panted  Elias.  "Seven  mile 
due  west  from  this  notch,  as  the  crow  flies,  as  you'll 
see  when  we  git  up  thar.  Not  less'n  fifteen  mile 
down  through  the  valley  on  'tother  side  and  at  ween 
this  notch  an'  it.  Don't  look  it,  does  it  ?  By 
ginger!  we're  a-goin'  ter  hev  a  blizzard  right  in  the 
pass.  Git  yer  bearin's  an'  keep  climbin'  or  ye  may 
git  turned  round.  Lucky  we're  above  any  crevices 
or  jump-offs.  All  we  got  ter  do  is  ter  keep  wigglin' 
up." 

Sure  enough,  a  black  cloud  had  swung  around  the 
south  end  of  Mount  Olympus,  and  was  coming 
straight  across  the  valley  toward  the  pass,  a  grace- 
ful trail  of  whirling  snow  falling  from  it  as  it  came. 
"That'll  be  rain  in  the  valley  twenty-five  hundred 

299 


300  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

feet  below  this  pass,"  was  Elias'  comment.  All  this 
time  they  were  struggling  up,  and  just  before  they 
reached  the  highest  point  of  the  pass  the  snow 
squall  struck  them.  Damp  from  its  journey  across 
the  warmer  valley,  only  to  freeze  up  in  this  pass,  it 
was  absolutely  blinding,  and  the  whirling  wind 
which  accompanied  it  almost  took  the  breath  away. 
They  tramped  along  through  it  about  ten  minutes, 
and  then  stopped,  for,  as  Elias  declared,  they  had 
reached  the  pass,  and  would  wait  until  the  squall 
swept  by,  so  as  to  get  the  view.  Each  looked  at  the 
other  amused,  for  face  and  clothing  were  plastered 
with  the  snow,  which  was  now  thawing  to  water  on 
flesh  and  turning  to  ice  on  hair,  beard  and  garments. 
Elias,  with  his  hoary  locks,  looked  a  veritable  king 
of  winter,  as,  standing  with  his  hand  protecting  his 
eyes,  he  shouted:  "Here  comes  the  last  of  it!  I  see 
Olympus  through  it.  There  comes  the  green  grass 
and  the  shinin'  river  away  down  there.  See  'em?" 
Rex  looked  down  through  the  last  faint  fall  of 
snow  and  rain,  and  seemingly  at  his  feet,  but  miles 
away,  beheld  a  treeless  valley,  green  as  emerald, 
and  with  bright  waters  flashing  where  a  little  river 
wound  its  way.  To  the  south — he  was  looking  west 
— were  snow  ridges  and  peaks.  To  the  north 
Olympus  ended  in  a  frowning,  rocky  head,  apparently 
three  thousand  feet  sheer,  and  strangely  similar  to 
the  profile  of  an  African  negro.  One  instant  the 
fitful  winds  brought  up  to  his  ears  the  roar  of  waters 
leaping  down  innumerable  green  runs  and  swales 
that  from  the  valley  up  slashed  the  white  mantle  of 
the  mighty  mountain.     The  next,  this  roar  had  died 


IT  WAS  INDEED  A  PICTURE  OF  BEAUTY. 
301 


302        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

away,  succeeded  by  softly  soothing  strains  as  if  some 
vast  aeolian  harp  had  been  swept  by  the  unseen 
breezes,  which  were  now  bending  the  graceful  fir 
forests  on  the  higher  slopes.  It  was  indeed  a  picture 
of  beauty,  and  one  on  which  a  traveler,  having 
tramped  that  awful  solitude  of  snow,  for  seven  weary 
days,  could  well  feast  his  eyes — this  vale  of  grass 
and  flowers  not  four  miles  distant. 

"Now  turn  and  look  back  over  the  way  we've 
come,"  cried  Elias.  Rex  did  turn,  and  as  his  eyes 
slowly  took  in  the  view,  he  gulped  back  a  great  sob,  he 
knew  not  why,  and  could  not  by  any  effort  control 
the  flow  of  tears  which  ran  fast  down  his  cheeks. 

To  the  east,  stretching  away  and  sharply  down- 
ward, was  the  valley  up  which  he  had  toiled  eight- 
een weary  miles.  From  where  he  stood,  it  looked 
like  some  vast  roof  gutter.  Its  bare  bleak  sides  of 
almost  perpendicular  rock  were  wind-swept  and 
snowless.  Down  this  valley,  the  boisterous  west 
wind  was  chasing  the  clouds  composing  the  recent 
snow  squall,  and  these,  rolling,  surging  and 
tumbling,  like  sheep  before  a  drover's  dog,  seemed 
in  frantic  haste  to  get  ahead  and  through  the  narrow 
passage  way.  To  the  south,  where  the  Third  Branch 
joined  the  Big  River,  was  a  huge  truncated  cone  of 
rock,  two  thousand  feet  or  more  in  height,  and  even 
at  that  distance  gigantic.  The  clouds  surged  up 
against  the  rocky  ridge  to  the  east  of  the  main  Big 
River,  and  then,  buffeted  by  a  north  wind,  swept 
round  the  huge  cone,  until  the  last  had  departed, 
leaving  the  valley  lone  and  deserted.  From  his 
height  Rex  could  look  over  the  top  of  the  ridge  east 


ON  PISGAH'S  LOFTY  HEIGHT  I  STAND       303 

of  Big  River,  the  ridge  that  shows  up  from  the 
sound  on  ordinary  days,  while  Olympus  and  the 
interior  peaks  show  only  on  exceedingly  clear  days. 
But  this  was  now  a  very  clear  morning,  and  he  could 
look  out  over  the  sound,  even  across  the  vast  pall  of 
clouds  that  hung  low  over  it.  Even  as  he  looked,  a 
quick  strong  north  wind  swept  down,  and  that  pall 
commenced  to  wrinkle  and  hunch  up  here  and  there, 
to  be  at  last  torn  and  thrown  to  one  side  as  if  snatched 
by  some  mighty  unseen  hand. 

First,  in  the  far  north  appeared  Baker,  a  huge 
heap  of  snow  and  ice.  Then,  as  the  cloud  banks 
moved  rapidly  southward,  the  sunny  wall  of  the 
Cascades  rapidly  appeared  and  lengthened — a  wall 
of  pure  white,  except  for  somber  dark  slashes  here 
and  there,  down  which  deep  rivers  were  hurrying. 
As  this  wall  lengthened  and  stretched  away  to  the 
south,  up  out  of  the  banks  and  fogs  rose  mighty 
Mount  Rainier.  First  its  crown ;  then  a  flash  from 
its  alabaster  sides,  as  the  sun  kissed  them ;  then  a 
quicker,  fiercer  rent  in  the  curtain,  and  like  some 
magnificent  marble  column,  the  whole  majestic 
mountain  stood  bare  and  brilliant,  towering  far 
above  all  its  fellows.  And  now  between  this  Cas- 
cade wall  and  the  Olympic  coast  range  lay  the 
uncovered  sound,  stretching  north  and  south  in  the 
glorious  sunshine,  more  than  a  hundred  miles. 
Kitsap  peninsula,  from  four  to  nine  miles  wide  and 
thirty  miles  long,  looked  like  a  dark  finger  laid  out 
across  the  surface  of  a  steel-blue  plate.  At  the  tip 
of  this  finger  was  an  ocean  steamer,  a  tiny  moving 
speck,  rounding  Foul  Weather  Bluff,  and  creeping 


304       REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

on  toward  Seattle,  which  in  the  far  distance  looked 
like  a  bit  of  brown  bunch  grass,  grown  on  the  edge 
of  the  dark  green  carpet  stretching  out  toward  the 
feet  of  the  Cascades.  Lake  Washington,  with  its 
twenty-seven  miles  of  shining  length,  seemed  a  bit 
of  mercury  or  molten  metal  from  the  main  mass, 
and  Lake  Union  like  a  still  smaller  piece.  At  his 
feet,  between  him  and  this  sound  region,  lay  the 
most  wonderfully  broken-up  country  he  had  ever 
seen  or  dreamed  of.  Its  crags,  crevasses,  peaks, 
and  gloomy  valleys,  filled  him  with  awe.  It  was  as 
if  the  Omnipotent  hand  had  tossed  the  earth's  crust 
skyward,  letting  it  fall  where  it  would.  And  all  this 
brought  tears.  Views  less  grand  have  brought  tears 
for  many  a  strong  man.  This,  the  grandest  of  all, 
probably  not  one  human  eye  a  year  has  rested  on 
since  the  world's  creation.  Rex  realized  this,  and 
was  thankful,  even  if  his  trip  brought  him  no  other 
reward.  He  looked  long  and  then  turned  to  Elias, 
who  stood  like  a  statue.  Without  removing  his  eyes 
from  the  scene  before  him,  the  giant  began  as  one 
inspired: 

"Do  ye  wonder  I  love  the  mountains?  Do  ye 
think,  after  seein'  all  this  as  we  have  this  mornin', 
either  one  on  us  can  ever  believe  there  ain't  no  God? 
Why,  boyee!  hear  His  breath  in  the  forests  and 
among  the  crags  about  an'  above  us.  "Watch  His 
sunshine  spreadin'  itself  out  across  this  reservoir, 
meltin'  its  snows  an'  sendin'  'em  leapin'  down  to  be 
distilled  an'  purified  in  the  great  ocean,  an'  in  fogs 
an'  vapors  rolled  up  agin.  See  that  ole  eagle  a 
sailin'    away    yonder?      Well,     I'd   ruther    be  him 


ON  PISGAH'S  LOFTY  HEIGHT  I  STAND       305 

a-sailin'  round  over  these  knobs  than  ter  be  even  an 
Astor  or  a  Vanderbilt  an'  not  know  an'  feel  there 
was  a  God.  I'd  ruther  be  myself,  an'  drag  these  big 
feet  round  over  these  hills,  where  I  alius  feel  as  if 
there  was  a  God,  than  ter  be  one  o'  them  skeptics 
what  sets  in  cities  an'  doubts  everything.  I'm  alias 
happy  when  I'm  up  here,  I  am,"  and  his  big  eyes 
grew  as  lustrous  as  those  of  a  Moses  on  the  heights 
of  Pisgah.  "But  this  standin'  here  won't  do;  ye're 
tired  out,  boy,  an'  so'm  I.  Kim  on  down  now,  an' 
we'll  take  a  snooze  on  that  green  grass  away  below 
there  that'll  last  all  day  an'  all  night  too,"  and  he 
lengthened  his  stride  down  the  slope. 

Within  an  hour  they  were  down  some  three  miles, 
even  with  the  snow  line,  and  were  coming  into 
green  grass,  which  in  the  majestic  forest  through 
which  they  were  now  traveling  grew  rankly  luxu- 
riant, for  there  was  no  underbrush.  They  had  seen 
tracks  of  deer,  elk  and  bear  in  the  snow  coming 
down,  and  now  they  noticed  a  deer  between  the  tree 
trunks,  gazing  at  them  in  apparent  surprise,  but 
without  fear.  "Don't  shoot!"  whispered  Elias. 
"We'll  git  one  nearer  camp.  They're  mighty  thick 
round  here.  This  is  a  great  game  country.  Nobody 
gits  in  here,  an'  they're  tame." 

Rex  refrained,  and  as  they  came  out  into  the 
open,  natural  meadow  below,  saw  that  Elias  was 
right.  There  were  a  score  feeding  in  sight  at  that 
instant.  Some  of  these  trotted  away  to  cover,  but 
others  showed  no  more  alarm  than  might  so  many 
domestic  cattle.  Almost  at  the  river's  edge,  in  a 
sheltered  spot  behind  a  dense  thicket,  they  pitched 


306        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

camp  on  the  green  grass.  Everywhere  about  ort 
this  grass,  or  rather  underneath  its  matted  surface, 
were  limbs  and  small  tree  trunks.  Dry  as  a  bone 
and  without  bark,  they  can  be  found  in  any  of  these 
valleys,  in  places  two  miles  from  any  adjacent  for- 
est. The  only  explanation  that  can  be  given  is  that 
heated  lava  has  in  time  past  run  down,  forming  these 
natural  meadows  and  carrying  these  branches  on  its 
Ix.som,  but  if  so,  why  did  not  these  branches  burn? 
That  they  will  burn  and  that  they  make  most  excel- 
lent fuel,  Rex  and  Elias  can  attest,  and,  within  an 
hour,  they  had  gathered  a  large  enough  quantity  to 
supply  the  small  fire  they  needed  for  a  week,  and 
before  this  lire  they  lay  down  to  sleep. 

At  6  p.  m.,  Rex  awoke  and  found  Elias  with 
supper  ready.  They  ate,  rolled  up  again,  and  slept 
until  the  next  morning.  Elias  had  shot  a  voung 
and  tender  fawn  the  night  before,  and  on  this  they 
made  a  second  meal.  As  they  ate,  Elias,  nodding 
towards  the  southwest,  remarked,  "That  crater's 
right  over  that  way,  'bout  fourteen  or  fifteen  mile. 
We  may  not  be  able  to  git  there  fer  a  week,  but 
we'll  have  a  try  at  it  to-day." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

"rock  of  ages,"   a    "bottomless   pit,"   and   other 
uncanny  wonders rex  disappears 

While  preparing  to  leave  camp,  Rex  was  amazed 
to  see  three  very  large  bear  walk  out  from  the  forest 
and  lumber  across  the  grass  plot  in  their  awkward 
way,  occasionally  stopping  to  crop  the  green  herbage 
as  a  cow  might.  "An1  yet  they  tell  me  b'ar  don't 
eat  grass,"  laughed  Elias.  "Now,  boy,  you'll  see  a 
good  many  b'ar  up  in  here,  but  ye  don't  want  ter  be 
poppin'  at  'em  with  that  single-shot  buck  ye  carry" 
(Rex's  rifle  was  a  40-82  Winchester),  ."fer  jest's 
like  as  not,  ye'll  let  inter  a  grizzly  or  a  bald-face, 
an,  then  ye  won't  go  back,  unless  I  pack  yer  bones 
over  the  hills  in  a  gunny  sack.  Now,  them  three  out 
there  is  all  mountain  black.  Ye  might  make  'em 
run  if  ye  shot  at  'em,  an'  ye  might  not.  They 
might  run  for  ye.  Best  way  is  to  scare  'em  like 
this" — and  he  drummed  on  the  gold-pan,  whereat 
the  bears  hurried  into  the  forest.  "You  won't  be 
able  to  pack  any  b'ar  hide  out  o'  here,  but  if  ye 
want  a  p'op  at  a  b'ar  jest  fer  fun,  sometime  'fore  we 
go  home,  I'll  stan'  by  an'  let  ye  kill  a  big  un.  If 
one  charges  ye  an'  I'm  long  with  ole  'Kill-Duck,' 
ye'll  see  a  hole  bio  wed  in  a  b'ar  bigger 'n  yer  hat." 

Rex  laughed,  but  said  nothing  as  he  assisted  in 
slinging  their  packs  up  on  a  limb.  "Kim  on,  now. 
Let's  up  stakes  an'  out  o'  this.     As  Mr.  Shakespeare 

307 


308        REX  WAYLANDS  FORTUNE 

beootifully  says,  'The  inaudible  an'  noiseless  foot  o' 
Time  steals  by  us  'fore  we  can  effect  our  plans.' 
An'  it's  so.     Ole  Time  is  gittin'  thar  with  both  feet. " 

They  had  taken  only  three  days'  provisions  and 
their  guns,  and  under  this  light  pack  they  tramped 
smartly  along,  keeping  the  main  elk  trails,  here  as 
broad  as  a  wagon  road  and  in  many  places  actually 
dusty,  so  quick  was  the  ground  to  shed  water  at  the 
base  of  peaks  of  volcanic  formation.  As  they 
progressed,  the  valley  grew  rapidly  narrower  and 
very  rough,  the  waters  of  the  little  river  falling  in 
the  most  beautiful  cascades  and  waterfalls  of  varying 
height.  Soon  they  entered  another  higher  and 
wider  valley.  Here  they  found  snow  of  slight  depth, 
all  the  way  down  to  the  shore  of  a  pretty  little  lake, 
lying  like  a  jewel  in  the  center  of  the  valley. 

"That  lake's  shaller, "  explained  Elias,  "an'  is 
simply  a  widenin'  out  o'  this  little  river,  which  1 
think  is  one  o'  the  head  streams  o'  the  Dungeness 
what  flows  inter  the  straits  'bout  eighty  mile  north. 
To-day  '11  thaw  all  this  snow  off,  an'  you'll  see  green 
grass  under  it.  It's  seldom  that  snow  lays  in  this 
valley  or  any  o'  these  valleys,  even  in  winter.  See! 
a  big  band  o'  elk's  ben  through  here  to-day. 
They're  makin'  fer  the  canon,  layin'  to  the  south, 
an'  they  went  right  up  over  this  pass  we're  makin' 
fer  now.  "We'll  take  their  trail,  fer  they're  better 
judges  o'  such  matters  'an  what  we  are.  Hello! 
Thar  they  be,  right  ahead.     See?" 

Rex  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes.  There  in  two 
droves,  led  by  less  than  half  a  dozen  bulls,  he 
counted  eighty  of  the  animals.      The  bulls  had  all 


'& 


HE  DISAPPEARED  FROM  ELIAS'  WONDERING  EYES. 

m 


3io  REX  WAYLxVND'S  FORTUNE 

shed  their  horns,  but  could  be  distinguished  by  their 
great  size.  One  especially  was  larger  than  any  ox 
Rex  had  ever  seen.  Elias  informed  him  that  three 
months  later  all  the  bulls  would  have  horns  of  full 
size,  though  tender  and  "in  the  velvet,"  and  that 
then  would  commence  the  "running  season,"  when 
the  bulls  fought  and  were  really  dangerous,  espe- 
cially if  molested.  Now,  however,  they  were  like  a 
drove  of  domestic  cattle,  and  leisurely  worked  their 
way  up  through  the  snow  toward  the  pass,  the  big 
bull  leading  and  followed  by  detachments  of  from 
four  to  eight  cows  and  calves,  each  led  by  a  smaller 
bull.  The  trail  they  made  was  a  broad  one,  and 
rendered  travel  easy,  so  that  the  pass  was  reached 
within  two  hours,  and  before  them  lay  a  long  green 
valley,  wooded  only  on  its  edges  and  with  a  large 
bright  stream  running  through  its  center. 

"In  that  stream  an'  in  that  lake  back  there  is  the 
all  firedest  great  mountain  trout  ye  ever  see.  Some 
on  'em  long  as  my  arm  an'  weighin'  five  an'  six 
pound,"  said  Elias.  "Course,  ye  kin  ketch  bigger 
trout  in  the  Ducquebush  or  Doseewallops,  whar 
I've  hooked  Char  an'  Dolly  Yarden  an'  Rainbow  as 
high  as  eighteen  pound,  but  they  ain't  got  the  fight 
in  'em  these  fellers  have.  These  fellers  come  four 
foot  up  out  the  water,  the  bright  drops  fallin'  like  a 
shower  o'  dimunds  as  they  writhe  in  the  air  an' 
shake  their  ole  flukes.  They  won't  take  the  bait  till 
'long  the  first  o'  June,  an'  only  'bout  four  hours  in 
the  middle  o'  the  day  then,  but  fer  three  months  or 
more  they're  hungry  as  wolves.  D'ye  see  that  ledge 
runnin'  'long  thar,  fer  'bout  three  mile  southeast. 


"ROCK  OF  AGES"'— "A  BOTTOMLESS  PIT"    311 

an'  twice  as  fur  northwest?  Wall,  ther's  only  one 
place  ye  kin  climb  that,  an'  up  thar  is  whar  we're 
goin'.  May  be  so  much  snow  on  we  can't  make  it, 
but  right  on  top  o'  that  ledge,  inside  the  square 
tower  ye  see  off  to  the  left,  is  the  crater.  I  ain't 
sure  but  we'd  better  go  back  ter-morrer,  git  our 
packs  an'  settle  down  in  this  valley.  'Tain't  quite  so 
warm  as  the  one  below,  but  it's  nearer  our  'yob,'  as 
the  vSwedes  say.  Now,  we'll  go  down  diagonal,  an' 
head  fer  that  bare  'butment  behind  which  is  the 
crater." 

As  they  went  down  through  the  forest  where  the 
large  trees  stood  wide  and  grass  grew  thick,  Rex 
thought  he  had  never  seen  anything  more  beautiful, 
and  wondered  why  these  mountain  valleys  had  not 
been  settled.  "They  will  be  by  stockmen,"  was 
Elias'  answer,  "for  nothin'  else  would  pay.  Thar 
isn't  a  month  in  the  year  but  frost  falls  here,  an'  ye 
couldn't  raise  even  buckwheat  er  spuds.  At  present 
the  cougar  an'  wolves  would  kill  off  cattle.  Them 
varmints  kill  off  more  elk  an'  deer  than  men  do,  an' 
they  don't  know  any  game  season  either.  Here's  a 
pebble  I  want  ye  to  look  at.  I  call  it  'Rock  o'  Ages,' 
'cause  it's  cleft  fer  me." 

Rex  paused  in  amazement,  for  never  in  all  his 
wanderings  had  he  seen  anything  more  singular.  A 
rock  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  and  as 
wide — it  had  originally  been  a  huge  sphere — lay 
there  in  the  forest,  where  it  had  evidently  fallen 
after  some  vast  eruption,  which  had  hurled  it  per- 
haps miles  through  space.  It  was  now  cleft  exactly 
through  the  center  as  if  from  a  blow  of  some  mighty 


312        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

sword,  and  lay  there  gaping  asunder.  There  was 
not  another  rock  or  stone  near  it.  A  little  distance 
beyond  they  came  to  what  Elias  called  the  Bottom- 
less Pit. 

This  was  a  hole  in  the  hillside  about  ten  feet  high 
and  twenty-five  wide.  Its  mouth  was  covered  by 
sand  as  if  water  had  sometime  gushed  forth,  and 
far  down  the  slope  was  a  track  through  the  forest, 
spreading  fan-shape,  in  which  stood  dead  trees. 
Elias  was  of  the  opinion  that  this  hole  was  the  mouth 
of  some  huge  hot-water  spring,  which  gushing  forth 
had  killed  the  trees  before  it.  In  the  sand  and  on 
the  soft  bare  soil  outside  were  tracks  of  cougar  and 
wolves,  leading  in  and  out,  showing  that  dens  were 
in  there.  It  was  a  gloomy  looking  cavern,  and 
Elias  declared  it  took  a  drop  some  distance  back  in 
the  mountain.  To  prove  this,  he  searched  about 
until  he  found  a  rock  about  the  size  of  a  butter  tub, 
and  this  he  rolled  in.  The  surface  was  a  sharp 
incline  down,  and  the  rock  was  soon  lost  to  view. 
Then  there  was  a  crash,  as  if  it  had  fallen  fifty  or 
sixty  feet,  soon  after  another,  thirty  seconds  later  a 
faint  "tunk, "  and  then  a  splash,  the  echoes  of  which 
came  up  like  a  voice  through  a  tube. 

"Jest  whar  that  rock'll  fetch  up  would  be  hard  to 
say,  but  probably  somers  this  side  o'  Chiny, "  said 
Elias,  as  they  turned  away. 

They  soon  reached  the  greener  and  treeless  por- 
tion of  the  valley,  and  across  this  beautiful  meadow 
they  strolled,  looking  up  and  down  its  six  or  eight 
miles  of  length  and  seeing  no  less  than  four  bear  at 
one  time  and  from  eighty  to  one  hundreci  elk  and 


"ROCK  OF  AGES"— "A  BOTTOMLESS  PIT"    3^3 

deer.  As  they  neared  the  fringe  of  forest  along  the 
base  of  the  five  hundred  foot  ledge  they  were 
approaching,  a  huge  black  timber  wolf  whisked  out 
of  the  shadow  and  into  it  again.  Both  saw  him  and 
other  motions  farther  back,  which  Elias  declared 
was  a  pack  of  wolves,  lurking  about  to  sally  forth 
and  attack  some  injured  elk  or  deer,  or  some  stray 
one  that  might  wander  away  from  the  main  herd. 
Elias  also  explained  that  these  cowardly  brutes  sel- 
dom attack  man  unless  very  hungry,  .and  then  only 
when  he  is  alone,  and  that  they  seldom  attack  elk  in 
herds,  as  the  elk  or  deer  strike  viciously  with  their 
fore  feet,  and  in  season  prod  with  their  "dog- 
killers. "  "Of  course,"  continued  Elias,  "if  a  hun- 
dred o'  them  fellers  got  together,  an'  wuz  good  an' 
hungry,  they'd  come  out  o'  them  woods  now  an'  sail 
into  you  an'  me  or  them  elk.  HungerTl  drive  'em 
to  almost  anything. ' ' 

The  great  ledge  or  wall  they  were  approaching 
seemed  to  exhibit  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow. 
Rex-  had  supposed  this  to  be  the  reflection  of  the 
woods  and  green  meadows  at  its  base,  but  now  he 
was  surprised  to  find  that  these  colors  originated  in 
a  growth  of  delicate  mosses,  which,  beginning  about 
one  hundred  feet  from  the  ground,  spread  all  across 
the  face  of  this  great  cliff,  with  an  effect  that  can  be 
better  imagined  than  described.  In  one  place,  these 
mosses  represented  old  gold,  in  another  green,  and 
another  blue  or  pink.  Again,  they  beautifully  inter- 
mingled with  such  a  variegation  of  color  as  no  deco- 
rator could  match.  He  tried  throwing  a  stone  to 
dislodge  some  of  this,  close-growing  fungus,  but  his 


3H  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

best  efforts  fell  twenty  feet  short  of  the  lowest 
mosses. 

"Mebbe  I  kin  help  ye  out,"  declared  Elias,  rang- 
ing- himself  under  the  cliff  and  pointing  his  big  gun 
out  across  its  face.  As  he  fired,  the  buckshot  tore 
along,  and  here  and  there  floated  down  a  patch 
of  the  delicate  tracery  thin  as  tissue  and  dry  as 
the  most  ancient  papyrus.  Rex  had  never  before 
seen  anything  so  delicately  beautiful,  and  begged 
Elias  to  shoot  again  and  again  until  he  had  col- 
lected several  fine  specimens,  which  Elias  assured 
him  would  forever  retain  their  colors  and  peculiar 
odor. 

The  great  wall,  before  reaching  the  crater  block, 
turned  more  to  the  north  and  in  snch  a  way  as  to 
leave  its  base  perpetually  in  shadow,  or  near  it,  and 
here  they  found  immense  quantities  of  snow.  In 
places  this  snow  lay  in  a  huge  bank  one  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  and  up  over  such  a  drift  they  must 
clamber  to  reach  the  diagonal  trail  leading  above. 
Elias  declared  this  snow  never  thawed  in  the  warm- 
est weather,  and  leading  the  way  round  a  great  but- 
tress of  rock,  exclaimed  while  pointing,  "See  that 
stream  o'  water  coming  out  that  hole  in  the  rock  an' 
surrounded  by  that  fire  wheel  o'  red  moss?  That 
stream  alius  flows,  an'  remin's  me  o'  the  rock  Moses 
smote.  See  the  steam  rise  up  from  the  hole  in  the 
snow  that  water  makes?  I  kalkerlate  that  water 
must  be  warmer'n  the  snow.  Mebbe  it's  such  a 
spring  as  they  got  down  to  Boise,  Idaho.  That  one 
furnishes  a  million  gallon  a  day,  an'  has  force 
enough  ter  heat  the  hull  darn  town,  carryin'    hot 


"ROCK  OF'  AGES"— "A  BOTTOMLESS  PIT"    315 

water  to  the  top  o'  five-story  buildin's.  It's  hot  too 
— hotter,  I  s'pect,  than  this." 

"Did  you  ever  climb  up  over  the  snow  to  that 
stream,  Elias?" 

"No,  I  never,  but  I  know  it's  warm,  cause  it's 
warm  down  near  the  bank  o'  the  little  river,  even 
after  it's  punched  that  hole  in  the  snow  an'  soaked 
along  under  the  ground." 

"I  should  think  it  would  melt  the  snow,  Elias." 

"So  'twould,  ef  the  snow  fell  thar  reg'lar,  but  that 
snow  comes  by  the  ton,  bein'  swept  by  wind  from  all 
'crosst  the  flat  surface  away  'bove.  Why,  I  bet 
ther's  days  in  winter  when  sixty  er  seventy  feet 
falls  off  thar.  Then  the  water  is  purtected  by  the 
wind  an'  falls  steady,  no  less'n  seventy-five  feet." 

"Let's  go  up  there." 

"No;  less  take  a  peek  at  the  crater  first.  That'll 
take  an  hour. ' ' 

"And  this  won't  take  fifteen  minutes.  I've  got  a 
theory  and  I  want  to  see  this  stream  first,  Elias." 

"All  right,  young  feller.      Go  ahead,  I'll  foller!" 

Rex  scrambled  up,  Elias  ten  feet  behind,  and 
reaching  the  barrel -like  hole  in  the  snow  crust, 
peered  into  its  dark  depths,  from  which  mist  slowly 
arose.  Then  he  reached  out  to  touch  and  test  the 
water,  when  suddenly  the  crust  gave  way  beneath 
him,  and  he  disappeared  from  Elias'  wondering  eyes. 
Elias  crawled  up  to  the  brink  of  the  chasm  and 
peered  into  its  dark  depths,  but  heard  no  sound, 
save  that  of  falling  water,  striking  on  rocks  far  below. 
Then  he  grew  very  white,  and,  sick  with  horror, 
slowly  crawled  back  down  the  slope. 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

REX    TUMBLES    INTO     AN     IMPORTANT     DISCOVERY PROS- 

PECTING     ABOUT    THE    CRATER 

When  Rex  felt  himself  falling',  he  could  do  no 
more  than  make  such  resistance  as  a  person  naturally 
would  make  under  such  circumstances.  Had  he 
fallen  through  open  space  he  must  certainly  have 
been  killed.  As  it  was,  he  went  down  with  a  great 
quantity  of  snow  and  slush,  part  of  which  went  first, 
forming  a  cushion  for  him  to  alight  on.  On  first 
striking,  he  rolled  down  a  sharp  incline  thirty  feet  or 
more,  and  brought  up  on  a  bed  of  sand,  with  such  force 
as  to  stun  him.  As  he  lay  there,  he  could  hear  Elias 
call,  but  so  dazed  was  he  that  he  could  not  answer. 
Slowly  his  senses  came  back,  and  weak  and  dizzy  he 
staggered  to  his  feet.  Far  above  was  a  circle  of 
light,  although  it  was  very  dark  all  about  him,  and 
down  through  this  circle  was  still  pouring  the  stream 
of  water.  It  was  now  striking  on  a  heap  of  snow 
and  rapidly  thawing  a  new  place  for  itself.  This  he 
could  make  out  by  the  faint  light  pouring  down  with 
the  water  from  so  far  above,  and  as  he  looked  he 
was  quite  sure  he  saw  a  bare  rock  under  the  snow. 
By  this  time  he  had  collected  his  senses  and  strength 
enough  to  shout,  and  did  shout  most  lustily.  There 
was  no  answer,  and  catching  up  his  gun,  which  lay 
near,  he  fired  it  into  the  darkness  about  him.  The 
report  was  something  so  tremendous  that  it  seemed 

3* 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  317 

for  a  time  as  if  he  had  cracked  his  ear  drums,  and  he 
reeled  about  like  a  drunken  man,  his  ears  ringing 
until  it  seemed  as  if  he  should  go  mad.  He  sank 
down  again,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  circle  of  light 
above,  when  he  was  overjoyed  to  see  first  a  large 
segment  broken  in,  and  later  the  outlines  of  Elias' 
bushy  head  peering  over. 

"Air  ye  alive,  boyee?     Any  bones  broke?" 

"All  right,  Elias,  only  badly  shaken  up." 

"Thank  the  good  Lord  yer  alive.      Hear  my  gun?" 

"No;  did  you  hear  mine?" 

"Yes,  and  I  answered.  Now,  how'm  I  goin'  to 
git  you  out?" 

"Don't  dance  around  on  that  crust,  Elias,  or 
you'll  be  in." 

"All  right;  I  sabe.  Hollow  shell,  ain't  it?  I'll 
cave  some  in." 

Elias  withdrew,  and  worked  for  some  time  outside, 
when  another  huge  section  fell,  letting  in  much 
light  and  fresh  air.  Rex,  by  this  increased  light, 
saw  that  he  was  in  the  mouth  of  a  cavern  some  six 
or  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  extending  back  under 
the  wall  into  the  ledge,  while  before  it  was  a  cone 
of  rock  thirty  feet  or  more  high,  which  had  by  the 
cave-in  been  covered  with  snow,  but  which  the  warm 
water  was  washing  clean  again. 

"The  water  is  warm,  Elias!"  he  shouted. 

"Oh!  darn  the  water!"  called  back  Elias,  as  he 
sent  another  mass  of  crust  and  snow  down  into  the 
pit.  "Ef  I  had  suthin'  'sides  this  ole  tree  limb  I 
could  do  suthin'.  Say,  how  much  is  it  a-goin'  ter 
take  ter  fill  up  that  hole?" 


THEY  FIND  AN  OUTLET  TO  THE  "  BOTTOMLESS  PIT. 
318 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  319 

"Three  hundred  tons,  Elias.  You  can't  fill  it  up. 
Throw  me  down  a  piece  of  pitch  pine  for  a  torch  until 
I  explore  this  hole  in  the  hill  a  wa)rs,  and  while  I'm 
gone  knot  that  rope  and  throw  that  down.  When  I 
come  back  I'll  climb  out." 

"No,  ye  don't,  young  feller.  I  promist  you 
shouldn't  go  inter  no  more  danger  than  I  could 
help.     You  kim  out  first  on  the  rope." 

"I  won't  do  it,  Elias.  This  is  my  hole,  and  I'm 
going  to  explore  it." 

"Wall,  then,  by  gum,  you'll  explore  it  with 
matches,  fer  ye  don't  git  no  rope  ner  no  pine  fat  till 
ye  come  up  outen  thar.  Ye 're  under  my  orders, 
mister,  an'  I'm  goin'  ter  keep  my  word,  fer  all  o' 
yer  dod  dasted  notions." 

"All  right,  General,"  said  Rex,  laughing.  "I'll 
come  up  first." 

"Now,  then!"  said  Elias,  as  he  pulled  him  up  over 
the  edge  of  the  pit,  "the  next  hole  you  go  to  pryin' 
intew,  I'll  spank  ye.  Ye  like  to  scart  me  ter  death, 
you  leetle  cuss,  you,"  and  the  big  tears  rolled  down 
his  pale  cheeks,  while  his  lips  trembled  with 
nervousness.  His  evident  earnestness  robbed  Rex 
of  all  anger  and  touched  him.  The  boy  suggested 
to  Elias  that  they  go  down  together. 

"No,  we  don't  go  down  together,  Mr.  Rex  Way- 
land.  I'm  goin'  down  first  an'  see  if  there's  any 
danger.     If  they  ain't,  yon  kin  come." 

"Got  a  Shakespearean  text  for  that?"  laughed  Rex. 

Quick  as  a  flash  and  extending  his  long  arm  in  the 
air,  Elias  roared  out  in  a  heavy  tragedy  voice, 
"  'Once  more  unto  the  breach,  dear  friends!     Once 


320        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

more!'"  Then  running  back  over  the  snow  bank 
to  a  rock,  he  tied  the  long  rope,  and  scrambling  up, 
threw  its  end  into  the  hole.  There  were  seventy- 
five  feet  or  more  to  spare,  and  he  swung  himself 
down,  saying:  "Git  some  pitchy  pieces  off'n  that 
stub  yonder  an'  throw  in  after  me,  an'  don't  ye  dare 
to  kim  down  till  I  say  ye  may. " 

Rex  obeyed,  and  saw  him  light  them,  after  sliver- 
ing them  with  his  knife.  Then  he  peered  into  the 
pit  only  to  see  Elias  disappear  in  the  cavern  running 
under  the  ledge.  He  was  gone  but  a  minute  or  two 
when  he  shouted  up,  "I  can't  see  any  harm  in  yer 
comin'  down,  pervided  yer  keerful." 

Rex  swung  down,  and  the  two  entered  the  cavern, 
which  seemed  worn  smooth  on  every  side  and  was  of 
uniform  size — nearly  eight  feet  in  diameter,  as  far 
as  they  could  see  ahead.  The  bottom,  like  the  sides, 
was  of  smooth  rock,  and  over  it  flowed  a  thin  sheet 
of  water,  which  grew  warmer  as  they  proceeded. 
They  could  see  that  they  were  ascending  slightly  and 
that  the  cavern  was  growing  warmer.  As  they 
progressed,  it  grew  quite  warm,  and  when  they  at 
last  brought  up  before  three  or  four  huge  logs, 
which,  lying  across,  completely  blocked  up  the  pas- 
sage, they  found  these  very  warm  indeed,  while  from 
up  above  and  at  the  bottom,  hot  water  slowly  oozed 
through. 

"How  fur  air  we  from  the  base  o'  the  ledge?" 
inquired  Elias. 

"About  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  I  judge, 
Elias." 

"Jest  you  pace  it,  while  I  hold  the  torch." 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  321 

Rex  did  this,  and  announced  at  the  entrance,  "One 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  long  paces.  That's  nearly 
or  quite  four  hundred  feet,  possibly  four  hundred 
and  twenty-five. " 

"Then  I'll  bet  yer  a  cookie,  Mr.  Tumblebug, 
you've  struck  an  ole  outlet  to  that  there  crater  up 
above,  an'  an  outlet  which,  if  we  kin  open  it,  will 
drain  'er  dry'rn  a  rag." 

Rex  let  out  a  whoop  of  delight,  and  rolled  on  the 
sand  in  ecstasy,  while  Elias,  wrinkling  his  big  brows 
in  deep  thought,  remarked:  "Keep  yer  shirt  on,  till 
I  crawl  up  overhead  an'  take  measurements.  Fol- 
lerme. "  He  swung  up,  handover  hand,  and  Rex 
followed.  Half-way  up  the  diagonal  trail  Elias 
shouted  back  to  bring  up  the  rope,  and  Rex  also 
provided  himself  with  several  chips  of  pine.  That 
climb  was  so  nearly  straight  up  that,  coming  as  it 
did  at  the  end  of  the  rope  exercise,  it  was  nearly 
half  an  hour  before  Rex  found  himself  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  ridge  where  Elias  awaited  him.  There 
they  sat  and  looked  down  on  the  lovely  valley  below, 
over  which  thin  clouds  were  lazily  floating,  almost 
on  a  level  with  them. 

"Well,  now  fer  measurements!"  said  Elias,  and 
he  led  the  way  back  along  the  summit  something 
like  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  Rex  following.  They  were 
now  on  an  extremely  high  plateau  of  about  one 
thousand  acres'  space,  and  it  seemed  the  chief  center 
of  all  the  mountain  ranges  in  that  vicinity,  all  other 
ridges  radiating  from  it,  like  spokes  from  a  hub. 
Not  a  blade  of  grass  nor  a  shrub  grew  upon  it.  Bare 
and  wind-swept,  it  was  as  desolate  a  place  as  could 


322        REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

well  be  imagined.  Away  to  the  west,  tossing, 
fleecy  clouds  or  ocean  water,  they  could  not  tell 
which,  came  up  against  a  vast  wooded  basin,  slashed 
by  rivers,  ravines  and  gulches.  To  the  south  clouds 
hid  everything,  and  to  the  east  were  yet  higher 
mountains,  snow-covered  and  jagged.  Elias  con- 
sidered it  very  fortunate  that  this  plateau  was  now 
free  from  clouds,  and  tramped  smartly  along  until 
at  a  point  nearly  opposite  the  gushing  water  and  the 
snow  banks.  Here  he  made  a  detour  in  to  avoid  a 
deep  slanting  crevasse,  whence  the  rock  Rex  had 
found  beneath  the  snow  had  fallen.  At  the  farther 
side  of  this  crevasse  Rex  stopped  and  watched  his 
companion,  who,  sure  of  foot  as  a  mountain  sheep, 
walked  steadily  along  a  narrow  causeway  formed  by 
the  nearness  of  the  crevasse  to  a  deep  pit  on  the 
other  side.  "Thar's  yer  crater,  boyee.  Ef  ye  ain't 
purty  stiddy-headed,  ye'd  better  coon  it."  Rex 
knew  what  this  meant,  and  rather  than  run  any  risk, 
got  down  on  all  fours  and  crept  along.  The  crater 
was  indeed  an  uncanny  place — a  horrible  hole  in  the 
earth,  and  as  Rex  surveyed  it  he  saw  on  the  farther 
side  the  little  ledge  to  which  Elias  had  swung  him- 
self in  quest  of  the  elk  horns.      He  shuddered. 

"Heavens,  man!  But  you  had  nerve  to  swing  out 
over  that  edge.      Suppose  you'd  lost  your  hold?" 

"I  wuzn't  thar  fer  that  purpose,  boyee.  'Sides, 
ef  I  had,  thar  wan't  no  one  round  ter  laugh  at  me." 

Rex  could  find  no  fitting  words  to  frame  an 
answer  to  such  peculiar  levity,  and  taking  a  chip 
from  his  pocket  tossed  it  far  out,  to  see  it  go  whirl- 
ing and  fluttering  down,  down,  until  at  last  it  lightly 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  323 

touched  the  smooth  water.  As  he  leaned  over  he 
could  feel  a  warm  current  of  air  against  his  face, 
and  while  the  chip  floated  he  asked  Elias  for  the  big 
drinking  cup  strapped  to  his  waist.  Tying  this  to  a 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  foot  fish-line,  he  let  it  down, 
and  filling  the  cup,  attempted  to  draw  it  up.  In  doing 
this  he  found  that  it  was  being  carried  by  a  current 
to  some  outlet  of  the  lake,  toward  which  the  chip 
was  now  fast  hastening.  With  a  quick  jerk,  he 
loosened  the  cup,  and  brought  it  up  over  the  brink, 
just  as  the  chip  disappeared.  The  water  was  nearly 
blood  warm,  and  he  was  now  sure  the  cavern  was 
the  old  outlet  of  the  lake.  He  threw  in  a  handful 
of  the  chips,  and  crawling  on  his  face  to  the  outer 
edge  of  the  ledge,  peered  over  in  order  to  watch  the 
stream  falling  into  the  snow  pit  so  far  below.  A 
minute  or  two  later  he  was  almost  sure  he  saw  the 
chips  disappear.  Elias,  meanwhile,  had  been  peer- 
ing over  into  the  lake,  and  at  this  instant  he  drew 
back,  exclaiming,  "See  that!" 

Rex  hastened  to  look,  but  was  only  in  time  to  see 
a  rapidly  enlarging  ripple.      "What  was  it,  Elias?" 

"A  big  bubble  an'  a  puff  o'  steam.  They's  hot 
springs  at  the  bottom  o'  that  hole,  an'  I  know  it. 
Come  on.      Less  climb  down  to  the  valley  again. ' ' 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Elias?" 

"To-morrer  I'm  comin'  over  here  with  about  five 
pound  o'  dynamite,  an'  I'm  goin'  ter  put  a  shot  in 
atween  them  ole  logs  across  that  outlet.  It'll  stir 
things  up  some,  an'  I  hope  drain  the  lake." 

"Good  idea,"  assented  Rex,  as  he  clambered 
down.     "Great  fun  when  she  lets  loose,  eh?" 


324       REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

"Bet  yer  bottom  dollar,"  grunted  Elias,  as  he 
toiled  down  the  difficult  trail. 

Four  hours  from  that  time  they  were  back  at  their 
first  camp,  tired  and  very  hungry,  and  while  one 
cooked  supper,  the  other  was  packing  up  for  their 
removal  early  the  next  morning.  Rex  slept  little 
that  night,  but  wondered  and  planned.  Elias,  after 
building  a  good  fire,  lay  down  and  never  once  awoke 
or  changed  position  until  morning. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE  CRATER   DYNAMITED A  GRAND  SIGHT ELIAS 

BELIEVES  REX   CRAZY 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  before  Rex  and  Elias  had 
completed  their  journey  to  the  new  camp.  They 
chose  a  little  cup-shaped  depression  on  a  knoll  at  the 
widest  portion  of  the  valley,  and  nearly  opposite  the 
cavern  Rex  had  so  curiously  discovered.  This  knoll 
was  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  little  river 
and  across  it  from  the  cavern.  It  was  about  twenty 
feet  higher  than  the  remaining  slope  of  the  valley, 
that  distance  from  the  river,  and  about  fifty  feet 
above  the  river's  surface,  by  which  it  must  be 
understood  that  there  was  quite  a  sharp  grade  up  from 
the  river.  It  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  forest  on  its  side  of  the 
valley,  and  there  being  only  a  fringe  of  large 
trees  at  the  base  of  the  cliff  opposite  the  crater, 
there  was  practically  no  forest  over  there.  The 
camp  was  about  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  yards 
from  the  fringe  of  trees  and  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  entrance  of  the  cavern.  The  depression 
on  the  knoll  was  natural,  a  ridge  of  earth  and  rock 
forming  a  natural  breastwork  all  the  way  round  the 
summit.  From  under  the  northeast  base  of  this 
ridge  a  small  stream  of  water  bubbled  up.  One 
interior  side  of  the  ridge,  the  northwest,  was  per- 
pendicular on  the  inside   and  four  feet  six  inches 

3  25 


326  REX  WAYLAXD'S  FORTUNE 

high,  a  soft  rock  cropping  out  there.  Against  this 
Elias  purposed  building  a  fire,  and  he  declared  that 
if  they  were  to  stay  there  any  length  of  time  they 
would  build  a  cabin,  too.  "I  never  saw  a  better 
place  for  a  camp,"  he  declared.  "Wood  within  three 
hundred  yards,  water  at  yer  feet,  an'  everything 
convenient.  Now  then,  we'll  hang  up  our  pack  on 
that  small  tree  over  thar,  an'  then  we'll  eat  a  cold 
snack.  Then  we'll  go  over  an'  put  a  blast  under 
that  mess  o'  logs.  I  persoom  we  could  punch  a  hole 
er  cut  one  through  them  logs,  so  the  water'd  run 
through,  but  what  we  want  is  tcr  open  it  fer  good. 
I  hate  to  waste  five  pound  o'  dynamite,  but  I  sha'n't 
put  in  no  less'n  that,  an'  I  kalkerlate  that  orter  stir 
things  up  some.  We  orter  be  able  ter  fix  the 
blast  'fore  one  o'clock,  an'  while  the  water's  runnin' 
out  we  kin  eat  some  more." 

"I'm  fearful  we  won't  eat  much  dinner  if  the 
water  runs  out  all  right,"  thought  Rex,  but  he  said 
nothing  and  followed  Elias'  directions  as  best  he 
could.  The}'  had  brought  twenty-four  one-third 
pound  sticks  of  dynamite,  and  fifteen  of  these  were 
carefully  unrolled  and  laid  out  on  a  flat  stone  at  one 
side.  A  torch  of  pitch  was  next  prepared  by  split- 
ting up  small  splinters  and  tying  them  together  in  a 
bunch  with  a  stick  in  the  center.  An  armful  of  wood 
for  a  fire  was  also  thrown  into  the  pit.  Elias  soon 
made  a  handle  for  the  pick  and  that  followed.  With 
all  their  climbing  in  and  out,  the  bank  had  so  caved 
in  that  they  might  possibly  have  gone  down  without 
it,  but  to  insure  safety,  the  rope,  knotted  and  secured 
as  before,  was  thrown  in.      The  dynamite  was  next 


A  HUMAN  HEAD  AND  HAND. 


328        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

carefully  let  down  in  a  cloth.  Then  taking  hold  of 
the  rope,  Rex  and  Elias  slid  down  outside  of  the 
waterfall.  As  they  entered  the  cavern,  Elias  pro- 
duced a  candle  from  his  pocket  and,  lighting  it,  found 
that  it  furnished  plenty  of  light  for  travel.  The  log 
rampart  or  jam  was  just  as  they  had  left  it.  The 
scheme  of  building  a  fire  they  gave  up,  for  even  the 
smoke  of  the  torch  was  insufferable  in  that  hot  hole. 

"I'd  give  a  good  deal,"  said  Elias,  "to  know  jest 
how  thick  that  jam  is.  Ye  see,  it  may  be  the  thick- 
ness o'  these  logs  or  it  may  be  three  times  as  thick. 
The  measurements  we've  made  above  an'  below 
show  it  can't  be  more'n  ten  foot  thick  unless  there's 
a  bank  o'  mud  t'other  side.  I'd  like  to  punch  a  hole 
through,  but  I  dassent,  'cause  the  water'd  spurt  out 
an'  drive  us  out  o'  here.  A  small  hole  wouldn't 
drain  that  lake  in  all  summer.  A  big  one,  all  of  a 
sudden,  is  what  we  want.  Jest  build  a  little  fire 
there  back  o'  that  run  an'  see  what  becomes  o'  the 
smoke.  It  may  drive  us  out,  but  if  it  don't,  I  wanter 
heat  the  pick  so's  to  burn  a  hole  in  the  logs  low 
down,  to  put  in  the  charge  o'  dynamite." 

"The  mouth  of  the  cavern  is  lower  than  this,  isn't 
it,  Elias?" 

"Yes;  I  s'pose  'tis,  but  what  of  it?" 

"Nothing,  except  that  you  can't  get  a  draft  out 
and  you'll  be  strangled  by  your  smoke.      Did  you 
ever  try  to  make  a  stove-pipe  draw  when  the  chimne 
hole  was  lower  than  the  first  elbow?" 

"Yes;  by  gum!  I  hev;  an'  'twon't  do  it  nohow. 
You're  right.  But  what's  your  idee  on  this  blastin' 
business?" 


THE  CRATER  DYNAMITED     '       '  329 

"I  should  dig  a  hole  under  that  lower  log  as  deep 
as  I  could — say  two  feet  if  possible.  While  that  was 
being  dug,  I  should  go  out  and  get  a  bushel  or  two 
of  moist  earth,  such  as  would  pack.  Put  the  charge 
in  the  hole,  dry  dirt  atop  of  that  and  then  ram  down 
moist  earth  and  keep  ramming  until  the  hole  is 
solidly  full.  Then  get  as  big  a  piece  of  rock  as 
possible  and  put  it  right  over  the  hole  and  pile  more 
against  that.  You  must  understand  that  several 
hundred  tons  of  water  is  pressing  against  those  logs 
on  the  other  side,  and  tons  of  mud,  rock  and  other 
materials  are  atop  of  them.  You've  got  to  get 
under  the  logs  and  take  advantage  of  the  resistance 
of  the  solid  earth  underneath,  and  then  you  must 
have  the  opening  packed  well  enough  to  furnish 
resistance  against  a  side  wise  explosion,  else  you 
won't  shatter  the  logs.  I  have  no  doubt  if  you  were 
to  explode  three  pounds  of  Xo.  1  dynamite  right  here 
in  this  cavern  anywhere  within  four  feet  of  those 
logs,  you  would  shatter  them  somewhat,  for  the 
resistance  on  all  sides  of  this  little  chamber  would 
be  enormous,  but  we  mustn't  run  any  risk.  We 
won't  be  able  to  get  in  here  again  probably,  even 
after  the  explosion  of  a  pound  of  that  stuff,  but  what 
we  want  is  to  insure  a  good  job  while  we  have  an 
opportunity  to  work  at  it.  Therefore,  I  say,  take  all 
possible  pains." 

"Yer  right,  boyee.  But  where  an'  when  did  ye 
learn  so  much  of  dynamitin'?  Ye  got  more  head'n  an 
old  miner. ' ' 

"I  never  had  much  experience  except  on  our 
blasts  for  logging  roads,  Elias,  but  while  you  were 


330        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

asleep  last  night,  I  lay  and  thought  this  over  many 
times.      This  is  the  result  of  my  ponderings. " 

Elias  looked  his  admiration.  He  went  to  work 
exactly  as  Rex  had  outlined,  while  Rex  went  back 
for  moist  earth.  Being  enthusiastic,  Rex  took  off 
his  hunting  coat,  filled  the  body  with  moist  earth, 
and  gathering  up  the  skirts  and  sleeves,  staggered 
in  through  the  darkness  with  his  heavy  burden. 
Elias  meanwhile  was  burrowing  like  a  woodchuck 
and  soon  had  a  hole  two  feet  in  depth  by  the  slant, 
and  about  six  inches  below  the  lower  log.  He  had 
to  dig  to  one  side  of  the  row  and  was  gratified  that 
the  water  did  not  fill  the  excavation.  He  had 
mainly  dug  through  gravel  and  volcanic  deposit, 
removing  but  a  few  stones,  but  had  now  struck  a 
smooth  rock  apparently  flat  and  of  unknown  thick- 
ness. This  seemed  a  good  base  on  which  to  place 
a  big  charge  of  dynamite,  and  on  it  he  placed  fifteen 
No.  i  candles  and  prepared  his  percussion  cap  with 
a  fuse  several  feet  in  length,  to  permit  plenty  of 
time  for  getting  out.  "I'll  bet  'twould  hist  a  feller 
if  he  stood  out  at  the  mouth  o'  this  cavern  when  the 
thing  goes  off. " 

"Scatter  him  in  fragments  you'd  better  say," 
replied  Rex.  "This  cavern  is  going  to  act  like  a 
gun-barrel,  being  straight  and  backed  up  by  that 
great  body  of  water. ' ' 

"S'pose  it'll  blow  over  that  knoll  we're  encamped 
on  out  there?"  enquired  Elias,  sarcastically.  "No; 
but  you'll  see  some  snow  fly  and  I  wouldn't  care  to 
stand  anywhere  in  line,  for  it  may  plaster  the  valley 
with  ice  and  rock  for  five  hundred  yards  out.      You 


THE  CRATER  DYNAMITED  331 

see  this  cavern  is  higher  than  the  rock  that  lies  out 
there  at  its  mouth,  and  as  that's  a  lit'tle  to  one  side 
anyway,  there's  going  to  be  a  big  explosion  and 
shower  of  rock  and  ice." 

"Wall,  there!"  grunted  Elias,  "that's  ez  good  a 
job  ez  I  kin  do.  Now  bid  good-by  to  this  hole,  put 
yer  truck  in  the  pockets  o'  that  coat  o'  yourn  an' 
skin  out." 

Rex  was  not  long  in  complying,  and  took  every- 
thing with  him  as  he  went.  Elias  soon  came  to  the 
mouth  of  the  cavern  to  warn  him  to  look  out,  went 
back  again  and  again  came  out,  this  time  running. 
He  scrambled  up  out  of  the  hole  with  a  little  assist- 
ance from  the  rope,  and  running  down  the  slope, 
started  for  the  camp  knoll,  which  having  reached, 
he  sat  down  panting. 

"That  snow  is  going  to  shut  off  the  out- 
shoot,  Elias.  How  long  will  it  be  before  she  goes 
off?" 

"Not  more'n "      Elias  was  interrupted  by  a 

jar  beneath  them  which  seemed  to  shake  the  entire 
valley  and  the  big  ledge  they  sat  facing.  This  was 
followed  almost  immediately  by  a  puff,  which  threw 
the  heavy  crust  about  the  snow  pit  from  before  the 
cavern,  sending  a  blast  of  air  clear  across  the  little 
river  and  almost  trowing  their  hats  off  from  their 
heads.  For  an  instant  they  sat  listening  to  the 
echoes  as  they  went  rolling  along.  Except  for  these 
there  was  silence  for  the  space  of  fifteen  seconds, 
when  there  came  a  gurgling,  roaring  rush  of  water, 
bearing  all  before  it.  Out  through  that  great  snow- 
bank rushed  the  contents  of  the  lake.     Once  after 


332        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

starting  there  was  a  momentary  cessation  of  the 
flow,  but  it  was  only  momentary,  for  an  instant  after 
it  gushed  forth  again,  this  time  bringing  out  pieces 
of  tree  trunks  and  gnarled  limbs  and  sweeping  down 
three  of  the  trees  that  stood  in  its  path.  The  sight 
was  quite  thrilling,  and  demonstrated  more  fully 
than  they  had  expected  the  great  quantity  of  water 
pent  up  within  the  crater.  A  great  hole  was  washed 
out  of  the  bank  of  the  little  river  opposite  the  crater, 
and  this  formed  a  whirlpool  a  few  yards  below  the 
knoll. 

"Hello!  'The  rock  Moses  smote'  has  quit  busi- 
ness," exclaimed  Rex.  "I'd  like  to  be  up  over- 
head where  I  could  see  that  water  settle.  Must 
be  like  pulling  the  stopple  out  of  the  bottom  of  a 
bath-tub." 

"I  dunno  much  'bout  bath-tubs.  I  ginnerally 
bathe  in  the  sound  when  I  git  so  I  have  to,"  said 
Elias,  "but  I  do  know  that  if  ye  wuz  up  overhead 
ye  wouldn't  see  much.  See  that  vapor  risin*  up 
there?  Wall,  that's  caused  by  the  cool  air  strikin' 
the  wet,  warm  sides  o'  the  crater.  Till  it  cools  off 
an'  dries  off  down  in  there,  it'll  steam  like  an  olc 
teakettle." 

As  they  talked,  the  flow  continued  and  the  water 
so  madly  tearing  out  seemed  warmer.  It  was  fast 
meeting  the  sides  of  the  great  snow  slope,  and  this, 
falling  in,  added  to  the  mass  of  vapor  which  was 
arising  from  all  along  the  river  bed.  Thus  matters 
continued  for  thirty  minutes  or  more,  when  it  was 
noticeable  that  the  flow  was  slackening  and  the  river 
lowering.     Within  ten  minutes  the  flow  had  slack- 


THE  CRATER  DYNAMITED  $$3 

ened  by  half  and  soon  there  was  but  a  small  rill 
where  before  there  had  been  more  than  an  ordinary 
river.  In  fact,  no  one  knows  or  can  realize  the 
amount  of  water  which  by  pressure  can  be  forced 
through  a  six  or  eight  foot  tube,  unless  he  under- 
stands mathematical  rules  and  sits  down  with  pencil 
and  paper  to  figure  it  out. 

As  the  flow  settled  down  to  a  rill  of  a  depth  of  six 
inches,  which  while  quite  warm  was  not  by  any 
means  scalding  hot  or  near  it,  Elias  declared  his 
intention  of  entering  the  cavern,  and  they  started  in 
together.  A  draft  of  air  was  now  sucking  through 
from  the  outside,  and  they  knew  the  lake  must  be 
lowered  to  the  level  of  this  new  outlet.  A  light 
shone  ahead,  but  as  they  feared  gaps  or  crevices 
made  by  the  action  of  the  water,  they  carried  a  torch, 
which  the  draft  of  air  nearly  extinguished.  How- 
ever, they  found  the  path  was  much  as  it  had  been, 
except  that  more  water  was  flowing  through.  As 
they  walked  in  through  the  enormous  snowbank  at 
the  entrance,  they  laughed  at  one  another  for  think- 
ing they  might  have  tunnelled  through  it.  "  'T  would 
have  been  a  week's  job,"  was  Elias'  opinion,  and 
Rex  agreed  with  him. 

As  they  finally  came  to  the  inner  end  of  the  outlet 
and  peered  out  over  the  old  lake  bed  and  up  the 
precipitous  walls,  they  could  but  stand  in  awe, 
for  such  a  pit  neither  had  ever  before  seen.  Yellow 
and  slimy  and  steaming  where  the  sun  struck  in,  no 
more  peculiar  effect  could  be  imagined.  The  bottom 
was  a  mass  of  mud  and  slime  trending  toward  the 
outlet  just  opened,  and  appeared  safe  enough  and 


334        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

not  uncomfortably  warm  to  feet  or  hands.  This 
mud  was  plastered  everywhere,  and  all  about  was  a 
sulphurous  smell  that  showed  it  to  be  strongly 
impregnated  with  sulphurates  of  some  sort.  Elias 
looked  in  vain  for  the  elk  horns  and  concluded  that 
these  must  have  been  swept  out  with  other  debris  in 
the  flood  following  the  explosion.  Meanwhile  Rex 
was  looking  for  something — he  hardly  knew  what — but 
something  he  felt  sure  could  never  have  been  swept 
out  by  water.  He  was  ashamed  to  tell  Elias  what 
he  really  hoped  to  find,  yet  he  wanted  to  look  for  it, 
and  so  said:  "Elias,  I  want  to  look  about  in  here  a 
bit.  You  run  along  down  the  ritTer.  You  may  find 
those  horns." 

"All  right,"  returned  Elias,  and  he  had  turned  to 
go  when  there  was  an  eruption  right  before  their 
feet,  and  all  about  them  water  and  mud  flew  up  to 
a  considerable  height.  They  ran  for  the  outlet  at 
the  top  of  their  speed  and  glancing  back  saw  a  score 
of  bubbles  and  steam  jets,  in  among  which  was  the 
semblance  of  a  human  Jiead  and  hcuul.  As  they 
stood  gazing  in  terror,  there  was  another  eruption, 
this  time  more  violent,  and  to  the  surface  came  the 
remainder  of  the  human  figure  and  close  beside  it 
another,  smaller  and  with  long  moss  or  hair  stream- 
ing from  its  head.  The  falling  water  washed  much 
of  the  slime  from  these  two  figures,  and  for  an 
instant  they  lay  there  in  full  view.  Elias  grew  very 
pale,  but  Rex  flushed  as  if  with  pleasure  and 
laughed — a  trick  he  had  when  surprised  and  over- 
joyed. Hearing  him,  Elias  looked  quickly  around, 
and  seeing  him  smiling,  aye,  even  laughing  at  such 


THE  CRATER  DYNAMITED  335 

a  terrible  sight,  hesitated  not  a  second,  but  caught 
him  up  as  he  might  a  bag  of  meal,  and  in  spite  of 
Rex's  struggles,  ran  swiftly  with  him  out  through 
che  passage,  never  setting  him  down  until  he  had 
him  safe  at  camp. 


CHAPTER   XXXVH 

A   LUCKY   DAY  BRINGS  BOTH  TREASURE  AND  ELK  HORNS 

ELIAS  DISPLAYS  HORSE-SENSE 

As  Elias  finally  set  Rex  on  his  feet,  the  latter 
literally  boiled  over.  Never  was  there  a  madder 
little  man  facing  a  big  one.  Rex  was  not  given  to 
profanity,  but  on  this  occasion  he  began  to  give 
expression  to  some  rather  strong  expletives,  when 
the  honest  giant  again  took  hold  of  him  and  began 
soothing  him  as  a  mother  might  a  spunky  child. 

"Thar!  Thar!  Good  boy!  Nice  day.  Goin' 
ter  storm  to-morrow,  mebbe.  We'll  go  out  an'  kill 
a  b'ar  this  arternoon,  arter  I'v  cooked  some  dinner, 
won't  we?" 

"Why,  Elias!  You  confounded  fool!  Let  go  o' 
me!  What  ails  you?  If  I  was  big  enough  I'd  duck 
you  into  that  river  out  there.  Do  you  know  what 
you're  about?  What  do  you  mean  by  packing  me 
over  here  in  that  style?  Do  you  think  I'm  a  child 
or  crazy?     I  swear,  I  believe  you're  crazy!" 

"Never  mind!  Never  mind!  Nobody's  crazy. 
Set  still  now,  an'  I'll  cook  the  boy  some  dinner. 
Let's  tell  some  huntin'  stories.  Elias  won't  let 
him  go  in  there  agin.  No  he  won't.  Rex  shall  stay 
here,  'long  o'  me.     Nobody  sha'n't  hurt  him." 

Rex  saw  it  all  now,  and  began  to  laugh.  "Elias, 
I  verily  believe  you  think  my  head  was  turned 
because  I  was  so  pleased  when  those  two  dead  people 

336 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE  337 

came  up  there.  Now,  honest  Injun,  do  you  think 
I'm  crazy?" 

Elias  looked  silly,  and  tears  came  into  his  great, 
kind  eyes.  "Why,  boyee!  I  did  think  so  fer  a  fact. 
But  you  talk  all  right  now.  Why,  how  could  you 
laugh  at  such  a  sight  as  that?" 

"Go  on  with  your  dinner,  Elias,  and  I'll  tell  you. 
You  may  not  know  it,  but  I'm  up  here  after 
richer  game  than  elk  horns,  which,  by  the  way,  I 
hope  we'll  get.  I  see  I've  got  to  trust  you,  and  I 
know  I  can.  So  I'll  tell  you  everything  if  you'll 
promise  to  stand  by  me."  Of  course,  Elias,  seeing 
his  mistake,  promised,  and  Rex  told  him  all  the  long 
story,  except  the  probable  size  of  the  treasure. 
That  he  thought  best  to  keep  to  himself.  When  he 
had  ended  he  further  said:  "And  now,  Elias.  I 
hope  to  get  something  out  of  this  for  my  mother, 
Uncle  Festus  and  myself.  If  it  turns  out  as  well  as 
I  hope  and  we  find  those  chests  and  get  them  home, 
I'll  give  you  a  thousand  dollars  for  this  month's 
work. ' ' 

"No,  ye  won't,  boyee.  I  wouldn't  accept  of  it. 
'T  would  be  rob  bin'  ye.  I  kin  see  you've  ben 
workin'  this  lead  fer  two  or  three  year,  an'  do  ye 
s'pose  jist  as  ye  git  to  the  main  deposit  I'm  a-goin' 
to  hold  ye  up  fer  the  lion's  share?  No,  siree!  I 
ain't  built  so  bristles  grow  on  my  back.  I'll  stan' 
by  ye,  an'  when  we're  through,  ef  you  pan  out  as 
good  color  as  ye  hope,  I  want  them  horns  an'  three 
dollars  a  day — not  a  durned  ounce  more.  But  sure's 
ye  live,  boy,  I  reckoned  ye  wuz  crazy  when  ye 
grinned  an'  ha-ha' d  as  ye  did  in  there  a  while  ago. 


338  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Think  of  it,  will  ye!  Two  fellers  standin'  at  tne 
door  o'  hades,  which  in  its  bilin's  tosses  up  two 
victims,  and  one  o'  them  fellers  turns  to  t'other  an' 
chuckles  as  if  he'd  jest  seen  a  ravishin'ly  beootiful 
sight.  Did  Dante  grin  under  such  sarcumstances, 
an'  if  he  had,  wouldn't  his  pard  ben  justified  in 
thinkin'  as  poor,  deceived  Othello  thought — 'On 
horror's  head,  horrors  accumulate'?  Wall,  I  guess 
he  would.  But  we  won't  say  any  thin'  more  'bout 
my  mistake.  We'll  eat  an'  then  we'll  go  back  in 
there.  We  ain't  got  more'n  three  hours  more  o' 
daylight  left." 

They  managed  to  eat  a  pretty  good  dinner  despite 
their  excitement,  and  immediately  after  it,  repaired 
to  the  crater,  where  they  found  things  about  as  they 
had  left  them.  By  careful  examination  they  ascer- 
tained within  the  next  twenty-four  hours  that  the 
hot  springs  were  but  three  in  number,  and  that  each 
spouted  at  regular  intervals.  One  spring,  the 
largest  and  the  one  that  had  frightened  them  so, 
spouted  every  ninety-three  minutes.  The  other  two 
flowed  slowly  all  the  time,  but  spouted  every  forty 
minutes  or  near  it,  and  apparently  together.  The 
spouting  of  the  larger  varied  in  force  and  was  pre- 
ceded by  a  convulsion  and  bubbling.  Two  of  these 
springs,  the  large  one  and  one  of  the  smaller,  were 
close  together,  and  it  was  probably  the  spouting  of 
the  small,  followed  by  the  larger,  which  they  first 
saw.  Only  once  after  did  they  ever  see  the  human 
figures  which  were  in  the  very  center  of  the  springs 
and  which  Rex  believed  to  be  the  bodies  of  Andres 
and  Isabella.     It  then  looked  as  if  the  two  were  in 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE 


339 


some  manner  fastened  together,  and  as  if  some 
heavy  weight  held  them  down ;  but  all  this  Rex  and 
Elias  could  only  conjecture,  as  they  dared  not  go 
nearer.  It  was  found  that  from  these  three  springs 
all  the  water  that  was  in  the  pit  had  come,  and  that 
the  remainder  of  the  bottom,  which  was  fairly  level, 
was  hardening  and  drying  out,  or  would  do  so  if  the 
mud  at  the  entrance  to  the  outlet  was  kept  back  so 
as  to  give  the  water  exit. 

"Ikalkerlate,"  said  Elias,  as  on  the  forenoon  of  the 
second  day  they  were  digging  around  in  the  hope  of 
finding  the  chests,  "that  this  lake  was  years  in 
formin'.  First  the  mud  gethered  round  that  outlet 
there.  Then  the  water  slowly  riz — probably  an 
inch  a  day  er  less — all  the  time  runnin'  out  that 
passage  yonder.  Finally  it  floated  them  logs  we 
found,  which  mebbe  laid  on  some  higher  portion  o' 
the  little  flat,  an'  they  finally  got  jammed  across. 
That  may  'a  ben  'fore  Julius  Caesar's  time,  for  prob- 
ably the  lake  wuz  jest  as  we  found  it  when  Sealth 
an'  his  ancestors  first  kim  up  here.  They  went  up 
that  trail  we  clim'  up,  drivin'  the  victims  afore  'em. 
Then  they  pushed  'em  an'  rolled  the  chists  over  in. 
The  bodies  bein'  lighter'n  the  chists,  went  out 
furder.  They  didn't,  tier  couldn't  'a  fell  inter  the 
big  spring  thar  at  first,  fer  the  reason  that  if  they 
had,  the  meat  'ud  'a  ben  cooked  off  their  bones  an' 
we  wouldn't  seen  anythin' but  skeletons.  No;  they 
laid  thar  in  that  water,  weights  fast  to  'em,  fer 
mebbe  twenty  year,  mebbe  forty,  but  all  the  time 
gradually  workin'  toward  them  springs.  Dunn' 
that  time  they  petrified.     From  what  I  kin  see  of 


340       REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

this  bottom,  if  they'd  fell  in  close  to  the  wall,  they'd 
never  got  inter  the  springs  at  all,  fer  as  you  kin 
see,  the  nearest  one's  at  least  twenty-five  foot  away 
from  the  wall.  But  bein'  light,  they  went  out 
furder — prob'bly  ten  foot  furder'n  the  chists.  If 
the  chists  went  out  anywhar  twenty-five  foot  from 
that  wall,  you'll  never  find  'em,  fur  they're  small 
an'  heavy  an'  no  bilin'  mud  ever'd  throw  'em  tip. 
They're  down  in  the  bowels  of  this  mountain 
summers.  However,  if  they  was  heavy  an'  went 
down  close  to  the  wall,  there's  where  they  air.  I'm 
goin'  up  above.      I  got  an  idee." 

He  toiled  up  the  trail,  Rex  following  after,  and 
soon  stood  before  the  rock  to  which  he  had  fastened 
his  rope  on  the  day  he  swung  over  after  the  elk  horns. 
It  was  a  peculiarly  shaped  stone,  Rex  now  noticed. 
He  had  never  looked  at  it  closely  before,  for  it  was 
on  the  side  of  the  crater  across  from  where  he  had 
made  his  closest  observations.  It  may  have  been 
placed  in  position  by  Indians,  though  how  Rex  could 
not  see,  for  it  would  weigh  at  least  ten  tons.  It  was 
close  to  the  brink  of  the  crater,  in  fact,  hung  over. 
Its  inner  top  surface  was  slanted  down  so  as  to  form 
a  slide  and  any  object  rolled  down  this  slant  would 
gain  such  momentum  as  to  shoot  well  out,  especially 
if  light.  On  the  back  of  this  block  were  two  steps, 
or  notches,  that  might  be  used  as  steps.  These  did 
not  appear  to  have  been  cut,  but  to  have  been 
naturally  formed.  The  first  was  about  two  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  plateau  and  a  foot  into  the 
rock.  In  stair  parlance,  two  feet  of  rise  and  one  of 
tread.     The  second   was  nearer  three   feet  of  rise 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE  341 

and  less  tread — about  eight  inches.  The  third, 
which  rose  to  the  top  of  the  rock,  was  about  two 
feet.  The  rock,  which  was  about  seven  feet  high, 
was  some  six  feet  wide  on  top,  and  would  have  been 
twelve  backward  and  forward,  but  for  the  sharp 
slant  which  occupied  about  eighteen  feet  of  it. 
To  illustrate  this,  Elias  went  to  camp  and  got  all 
the  blankets  and  clothing  he  could  scare  up,  and  of 
these  made  a  round  bundle  about  sixty  pounds  in 
weight  and  nearly  the  size  of  a  human  body.  He 
bound  it  round  tightly  with  straps  and  strings  and 
set  it  rolling.  As  he  had  expected,  it  went  well  out, 
so  far  out,  in  fact,  that  Rex  hastened  down  to  secure 
it,  fearful  of  an  eruption  of  the  springs.  As  he 
was  reaching  for  the  bundle  Elias  shouted  a  warning 
and  sent  down  a  boulder  as  large  as  he  could  lift. 
This  struck  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  inside  the  other, 
and,  climbing  down,  Elias  declared  there  was  where 
he  proposed  to  delve  for  the  chests.  vStripping  naked 
as  the  day  he  was  born,  and  gold-pan  in  hand,  the 
long-haired  giant  looked  odd  enough  delving  in  that 
warm  muck.  The  heat  of  the  muck  was  greater  as 
he  went  down,  and  if  ever  a  man  sweated  from  every 
pore  it  was  Elias.  He  found  very  little  to  obstruct 
his  operations,  and  was  soon  down  six  or  eight  feet. 
Every  few  minutes  he  would  pause  for  a  rest  and  a 
breath  of  fresh  air.  At  such  times  he  would 
expound  his  theory  about  the  sacrifices;  which  was, 
to  say  the  least,  good  reasoning. 

"Ye  see,  boyee,  them  elk  horns  was  th rowed  off 
that  rock  up  there,  an'  owin'  to  their  prongs  er 
somethin'  else,  went  sidewise  an'  ketched  on  that 


342        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

little  scrub-pine  ledge  up  above  there.  It's  a 
wonder  to  me  that  some  priest  didn't  let  some  feller 
down  to  start  'em  on,  but  either  because  they  didn't 
dare  interfere  with  what  had  happened  or  'cause 
they  hadn't  no  rope  to  let  a  feller  down,  they  let 
'em  hang;  but  you  bet  when  they  made  this  big 
potlatch  you  say  the  Spaniard  expected,  they  didn't 
take  no  chances.  They  took  good  care  to  send  both 
the  Spaniards  an'  the  treasure  as  near  where  the 
breath  of  the  Thunderbird  bubbled  up  as  they  could. 
I  know  suthin'  about  these  things,  an'  I  know  they 
have  a  cur'ous  belief  about  springs  an'  pools.  They 
won't  drink  out  of  a  spring  of  any  size  what  bubbles 
up  from  the  bottom,  even  to  this  day.  I've  seen  'em 
refuse.  I  see  ole  Ludlow  Jane  drive  a  hull  band 
o'  Siwash  away  from  a  spring  out  along  shore 
between  Whiskey  Spit  and  Port  Ludlow  one  day. 
She  declared  jest  'cause  the  spring  bubbled  up  from 
the  bottom  it  had  Tamahnawis  in  it.  Now,  Seattle 
an'  the  rest,  they  kalkerlated  to  throw  this  potlatch 
as  near  into  the  mouth  of  the  Thunderbird  as  they 
could.  If  the  chists  was  light  enough  or  if  the  Injuns 
had  strength  enough,  they're  clear  out  there  fifteen  or 
twenty  foot  beyond  where  I'm  diggin',  but  I'm 
kalkerlatin'  on  their  bein'  heavy,  and  from  here  in 
to'rds  the  wall  is  where  I'm  goin'  to  dig." 

And  he  did  dig.  He  went  down  first  some  eight 
feet,  making  an  excavation  almost  like  a  well.  Then 
he  began  to  work  out  toward  the  wall,  where  the 
muck  was  harder  and  less  salvy.  He  was  bending 
over  to  work  his  pan  under  an  unusually  large  lift, 
>vhen  his  knee  struck  some  pointed  object,  and  with 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE  343 

an  exclamation  of  pain  he  settled  back,  making  a  wry 
face.  Rex  looked  to  see  what  it  was  he  had  bumped 
against,  and  saw  in  the  muck  the  shape  of  a  chest 
corner.  Greatly  excited,  he  scrambled  in  over  Elias, 
shoved  his  hands  into  the  mud,  and  began  feeling 
about.  Then  he  looked  up  with  staring  eyes  and  a 
very  white  face,  and  exclaimed,  "Elias,  here's  one 
of  'em,  sure's  you're  born."  Elias  forgot  all  about 
his  knee  as  he  delved  and  wallowed  in  the  mud, 
and  an  instant  later  shouted,  "Yes!  an'  they's  two 
there.      I  feel  another." 

Rex  was  now  even  more  excited  than  Elias,  and 
forgetting  his  clothes  and  the  mud,  clawed  frantically 
about,  getting  down  on  his  knees  and  knocking  the 
skin  and  flesh  off  his  fingers  and  hands  in  his 
attempt  to  excavate.  Finally  he  had  one  of  the 
chests  unearthed  and  rolled  out,  but  he  could  not  lift 
it  to  save  his  life.  Elias  was  just  putting  one  out  on 
solid  ground  and  he  now  took  this  one  from  Rex  and 
placed  it  beside  the  first.  Then  both  fell  to  digging 
again,  and  within  seven  feet  of  the  others,  only 
nearer  the  surface,  they  found  a  third.  Three 
were  all  they  expected  to  find,  but  they  kept  on 
digging  until  the  shadows  warned  them  the  after- 
noon was  wearing  away.  The  task  of  carrying 
out  the  chests  fell  to  Elias,  for  Rex  could  not  lift 
even  one. 

"They  probably  had  some  feller  with  more  beef'n 
brains,  like  me,  fer  instance,  what  acted  as  pack- 
horse  fer  the  Hy  as  Tyee  or  Hy  as  Kill-'em-quick,  or 
they'd  never  got  these  up  into  these  mountains;  an' 
§ven  with  two  such  fellers,   I  don't  see  how  they 


344        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

done  it. "  While  Elias  was  bringing  out  the  other 
two  chests,  Rex  cleaned  off  the  first  and  examined 
it.  Beyond  three  circular  headless  bolt  ends  on 
each  of  two  sides  and  a  close  shut  joint  running 
around  the  chest  about  one  inch  below  its  top,  he 
could  see  no  possible  opening,  and  press  as  best  he 
could  on  these  bolt  ends  he  could  not  budge  them. 
The  chests  were  identical  in  every  respect.  Each 
was  an  exact  cube  with  a  sixteen-inch  face.  They 
had  no  handles,  no  hinges,  no  joints  aside  from  the 
one  mentioned,  and  were  as  nearly  smooth  as  it  was 
possible  to  make  them.  While  Rex  was  cleaning 
off  the  last  one,  Elias  sat  and  pondered,  asking  a 
question  now  and  then.  • 

"Do  ye  know  how  themkim  open,  boyee?" 

"No,  Elias;  I  don't.  Guess  that's  what  puzzled 
the  Indians." 

"That's  what  I  guess,  but  I  got  an  idee." 

"What  is  it?" 

"The  feller  what  originally  owned  them  chists  had 
a  big  pair  o'  clamps  or  pinchers,  with  three  points 
on  a  side,  made  to  fit  against  them  bolt  heads.  When 
he  wanted  to  open  a  chist  he  jest  clapped  'em  on  an' 
pinched  till  he  shot  in  the  bolts.  Them  bolts  is 
held  out  by  a  powerful  spring  in  the  cover,  an'  on 
the  under  side  o'  the  bolts  is  a  latch  or  projection. 
Them  springs  keep  that  latch  pushed  out  under 
a  rim  runnin'  round  inside  the  upper  edge  o'  the 
box.  I'll  bet  ye  couldn't  open  any  o'  them  chists 
with  a  jimmy.  Nothin'  but  a  cole  chisel  will  do  it, 
an'  thar  ain't  any  this  side  o'  the  coast.  Fer  a  fact, 
ef  I  was  goin'  fer  a  cole  chisel,  I'd  git  three  er  four 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE  345 

an'  a  sledge.  Ye've  got  yer  treasure,  boy,  but 
neither  you  ner  I  kin  pack  it,  an'  we  can't  open 
things  up  either." 

"You've  got  some  dynamite  left,  Elias." 

"Yes,  an'  ye  can  fool  with  it  if  ye  want  ter,  an' 
perhaps  blow  yer  treasure  all  over  this  valley.  Do 
ye  want  to  run  any  risks  on  $5,000  wuth  o'  stuff?  I 
don't.  If  I  was  a-goin'  ter  do  anything,  I'd  try  an' 
shoot  off  a  corner  o'  one  of  them  boxes  with  a  rifle, 
but  it's  my  judgment  ye'd  shoot  all  yer  ammuni- 
tion away  without  doin'  more'n  to  batter  it  a 
leetle.  I  don't  see  any  other  way  than  ter  go 
down  to  the  sound  an'  git  chisels  an'  a  sledge.  I 
kin  make  the  trip,  packin'  only  one  blanket  an' 
enough  grub  ter  last  me  one  way  in  three  or  four 
days,  an'  come  back  in  'bout  five.  When  I  come  I'll 
bring  help." 

"What '11  I  do  while  you're  gone,  Elias?" 

"La}T  round  an'  keep  watch  o'  things.  You'll 
have  plenty  o'  grub  an'  you  kin  rest  up." 

"But,  Elias,  I  don't  like  to  see  you  start  out 
alone. " 

"Sho!  Don't  let  that  worry  ye.  I've  ben  out  en 
in  here  more'n  once.  'Sides,  we  got  ter  hev  help 
ter  pack  this  stuff  out. " 

"Who'll  you  bring?" 

"Is  yer  LTncle  Festus  stubbed  enough  fer  the 
climb?  The  snow'll  be  down  consid'able,  an'  he 
won't  hev  no  great  pack,  'cept  goin'  back.  " 

"Yes;  Uncle  Festus'd  stand  it  all  right  and  enjoy 
it  too,  but  we  three  can  never  carry  one  hundred 
pounds  or  more  apiece.      You'd  better  bring  two 


346        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

more.      Peroux  and  Perry  are  good  mountaineers, 
and  safe  men  in  every  way." 

"All  right.  I'll  git  them.  Jest  lay  down  an'  rest 
yerself  a  bit  now,  an'  I'll  cook  a  little  an'  git  ready 
fer  the  trip.  'Tain't  more'n  four  o'clock,  an'  I'll 
have  supper  in  an  hour.  If  I  git  time  ter-morrer, 
I'll  help  ye  build  a  log  shack  here.  Might  as  well 
hev  a  house  ter  live  in  while  I'm  gone.  All  I  got 
ter  do  ter-morrer,  anyway,  is  ter  cook  up  some  grub. 
I  don't  propose  ter  do  any  cookin'  this  trip." 

"I'm  not  so  very  tired,  Elias.  If  there's  nothing 
I  can  help  you  about,  I  think  I'll  go  along  down  the 
river  and  see  if  I  can  find  where  the  elk  horns  lodged. 
We  haven't  hunted  for  them  much  since  we  got  on 
track  of  these  chests." 

vSlinging  his  rifle  over  his  shoulder,  Rex  started 
down  the  river,  his  eyes  fixed  on  every  sand  bar  and 
searching  every  eddy.  He  had  gone  a  half-mile  or 
more  when  he  was  attracted  by  one  of  those  peculiar 
madrofia  trees,  so  often  seen  in  the  mountains,  and 
called  by  mountaineers,  "checkerberry  trees." 
They  shed  their  bark  each  spring,  commencing  near 
the  coast  as  early  as  February  and  farther  inland 
about  March  15th,  after  which  time  their  ghastly 
yellow  limbs,  red  as  blood  close  to  the  freshly  peel- 
ing bark,  stand  out,  a  startling  sight  on  many  a 
lonely  point  or  knoll.  This  one  stood  on  a  roeky 
point,  where  the  river  swept  round  to  the  south,  and 
its  sweeping  limbs  almost  touched  the  swift  current. 
In  fact,  two  of  them  did  touch  it,  and  swayed  back- 
ward and  forward — or  was  that  something  else?  He- 
Stopped   and    rubbed   his   eyes,      Were   those     elk 


A  LUCKY  DAY  BRINGS  TREASURE  347 

horns?  "That's  what  they  are,  sn re's  you're  born," 
muttered  Rex.  "But  what  monsters!  I  wouldn't 
believe  my  eyes,  if  I  hadn't  heard  the  story  Elias 
tells.  No,  I  should  think  it  some  optical  delusion. 
Now  to  get  them. ' ' 

He  attempted  to  wade  out  in  the  water,  but  found 
it  too  deep.  The  horns,  while  sweeping  down 
before  the  flood,  had  caught  their  crotch  exactly  over 
a  strong  limb  where  it  swept  the  higher  water,  and 
now  hung  down,  their  tips  nearly  two  feet  in  the 
swift  current.  Rex  planned  a  little,  and  finally 
managed  to  throw  a  small  rope  about  them,  and 
fetching  the  ends  back  tied  them  to  the  trunk  of  the 
tree.  Then  he  climbed  up  and  with  his  hunting 
knife  cut  the  limb  so  that  the  weight  of  the  horns 
broke  it  off.  Having  hauled  the  horns  out  of  the 
water,  an  easy  task,  as  they  swung  around  against 
the  bank,  he  put  his  shoulders  under  them  and 
started  for  camp,  the  tips  trailing  along  behind  like 
the  poles  of  a  wickiup  when  fastened  to  a  cayuse. 
Elias,  from  the  knoll,  saw  him  coming,  and  a  more 
pleased  fellow  never  lived.  He  ran  to  meet  him, 
capering  about  like  a  child,  and  taking  the  huge 
antlers,  which  all  the  time  seemed  to  Rex  to  be 
something  more  than  elk  horns,  the  horns  of  a  mam- 
moth at  least,  bore  them  to  camp  with  beaming  face. 
There  they  set  up  the  horns,  and  measured  them. 
They  measured  from  one  tip  to  another  by  way  of 
the  crown  piece  sixteen  feet  eight  inches,  and  being 
rather  straight,  when  set  on  end,  six  feet  eight  and 
one-half  inches  from  the  ground  to  the  crotch. 
They  would  weigh,  Rex  judged,  about  seventy-five 


348  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

pounds,  and  were  beautifully  polished.  They  were, 
in  fact,  much  the  finest  specimens  either  Rex  or 
Elias  had  ever  seen,  being  about  one  and  a  half 
times  as  large  and,  though  slender,  magnificently 
proportioned. 


CHAPTER     XXXVIII 

A   BOY,  A   MAX   AND   A   BALD-FACE  BEAR BRUIN  SUSTAINS 

THE    REPUTATION    OF    HIS    TRIBE 

"I  think  you'd  better  slip  down  the  valley  this 
evenin'  an'  knock  over  a  fawn,"  said  Elias,  as  they 
sat  eating-.  "If  I  had  time,  I'd  make  some  pimmikin 
to  take  with  me.  That's  the  stuff,  but  I  ain't  got 
time. ' ' 

"What's  'pimmikin,'  Elias?  I've  heard  of  that 
stuff,  but  I  don't  believe  I  know  what  it  is." 

"No;  I  don't  believe  ye  do.  Few  does.  Used  ter 
be  quite  common  out  in  this  region  when  I  first  kim 
out,  but  it  ain't  used  much  now,  in  these  days  when 
expeditions  is  started  out  from  cities  where  ye  kin 
buy  all  sorts  o'  condensed  fodder.  Pimmikin's  made 
this  a-way:  You  take  either  lean  buffalo,  deer,  elk 
or  antelope  meat,  an'  cut  it  into  thin  strips  an'  cure 
'em  by  partially  cookin',  dryin'  in  the  sun  or  even 
by  freezin'  of  'em.  The  best  way  is  ter  put  'em  on  a 
wooden  grate  before  a  slow  fire.  \\  nen  quite  dry, 
take  'em  an'  pound  'em  inter  small  pieces  or  powder 
— the  finer  the  better.  Of  course,  ye  kin  bale  'em 
right  up  in  the  strip,  but  that's  simply  jerked  meat. 
That  ain't  pimmikin',  an'  'tain't  noways  near  as 
good  fer  var'ous  reasons.  Well,  when  ye've  thor- 
oughly pulverized  yer  meat,  ye  wanter  make  a  bag 
fer  it.  Any  hide  of  a  clean  animal  will  do,  though 
deer  or  elk  is  best.      Make  a  bag  of  it  with  the  hair 

349 


35©  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

outside.  Take  yer  pulverized  meat  an'  mix  with  it 
purty  near  as  much  melted  taller  or  fat  as  there  is 
meat,  an'  while  it's  all  warm,  put  it  inter  the  bag, 
packin'  all  in  well,  an'  sew  it  up.  When  it's  cooled 
an'  hardened  it's  ready  to  store  or  pack.  It'll  keep 
ter  years  if  well  made.  I've  eat  it  up  north  when 
'twas  forty  year  old,  an'  'twas  good.  It'll  work  or 
ferment  if  ye  make  yer  bag  too  big.  Never  put 
more'n  a  hundred  pound  in  one  bag  if  ye  kin  help  it. 
A  long  slim  bag's  best.  Ye  eat  it  uncooked,  an' 
without  salt.  Ye  kin  mix  it  with  flour  an'  boil  it  in 
water  an'  hev  the  best  dish  in  the  meat-pie  line  ye 
ever  tasted.  Ye  kin  add  berries  er  dried  fruit  ter  it 
when  it's  bilin'  an'  then  ye  hev  what's  called  sweet 
pimmikin,  which,  I  tell  ye,  is  good.  Pimmikin's 
great  stuff,  an'  I  don't  know  how  this  country'd 
ever  ben  discovered  without  it.  A  bag  o'  it  three 
foot  long  an'  less'n  a  foot  in  diameter  will  keep  four 
men  a  month,  an'  they'll  tramp  on  it  better 'n  any 
grub  I  know  on.  It's  old-fashioned,  but  I  don't 
know  any  other  grub  a  man  kin  carry  twenty- five 
pound  of  an'  make  it  keep  him  a  month.  Them 
hardy  Scotchmen  what  work  fer  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  alius  swear  by  it,  an'  I've  ben  told  by  the 
old-timers  that  Astor  used  ter  make  all  his  men 
carry  from  ten  to  fifteen  pound  sewed  round  in  their 
buckskin  coats,  to  be  used  only  when  everything 
else  gin  out.  It  was  him  that  introduced  the  raisin 
trick  inter  this  northwest,  an'  I  think  now,  ef  I  was 
a-goin'  out  a  thousand  mile  inter  the  Athabasca 
region  or  any  other  cold  country,  I'd  hev  a  rubber 
belt  o'  raisins  or  pimmikin  on  me.     As  condensed 


'SO  I  STARTLED  YOU,  DID  I,  OLD  CHAP? 
351 


352        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

grub,  pimmikin  comes  first  an'  raisins  next,  in  my 
jedgment. " 

It  is  needless,  perhaps,  to  add  that  Elias  had 
reference  to  the  well-known  food,  pemmican,  once 
widely  used  in  the  northwest. 

It  was  six  o'clock  before  Rex  and  Elias  finished 
their  repast,  but,  as  there  were  still  two  hours  of 
daylight,  Rex  strapped  on  his  knife  and  cartridge 
belt,  and,  taking  his  rifle,  started  down  the  valley  in 
quest  of  a  fawn.  He  was  nearly  two  miles  from 
camp  when  he  secured  a  yearling,  and  having  hung 
it  up  and  drawn  it,  was  soon  on  his  way  toward 
camp.  There  was  about  seventy  pounds  of  the 
meat,  including  the  hide,  which  he  used  as  a  pack 
sack,  and  he  calculated  that  over  the  smooth  grass  of 
the  valley  he  could  make  his  way  to  camp  in  forty 
minutes.  However,  he  found  fast  marching  even 
under  such  a  comparatively  light  pack  impossible, 
and  it  was  not  until  7:30  that  he  finally  rounded  the 
last  bend  in  the  river  and  came  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  and  in  plain  view  of  the  camp.  Over  on  the 
southwest  side,  close  to  the  ledge  and  in  the  fringe 
of  forest,  it  had  been  dark  some  time,  and  now  that 
darkness  was  beginning  to  settle  down  oyer  all  the 
valley,  except  on  the  higher  portions  of  the  north- 
east side,  he  was  thinking  of  crossing  the  river,  in 
order  to  gain  this  higher  ground  where  the  light  was 
stronger.  As  he  stumbled  along  through  the  semi- 
darkness  he  could  not  help  noting  how  much 
brighter  it  was  some  three  hundred  yards  east,  and 
on  the  extreme  eastern  height  the  sun  still  shone. 
In  fact,  he  could  see  a  pair  of  mountain  black  beat 


A  BOY,  A  MAN  AND  A  BALD-FACE  BEAR 


353 


coming  down  from  the  northeastern  ridge  for  a  feed, 
and  as  they  stood  for  an  instant  on  the  height  to 
survey  with  wondering  eyes  Elias'  camp  fire,  their 
sleek  sides  shone  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  like 
a  glass  bottle.  He  looked  in  vain  for  a  shallow 
crossing.  There  was  none  to  be  found  until  he 
came  nearly  opposite  the  camp.  He  regretted  now 
that  he  had  not  crossed  below,  especially  as  he  now 
saw  four  bears  feeding  in  the  swales  on  the  opposite 
side,  a  half-mile  or  more  away,  where  they  were  so 
busily  nosing  about  after  grass  roots,  skunk  cab- 
bage, etc.,  he  was  sure  he  could  easily  steal  upon 
them. 

Immediately  ahead  of  him  was  a  narrow  but  very 
soft  lateral  swale — a  swale  starting  up  behind  the 
fringe  of  forest,  close  to  the  great  snow-banks  along 
the  western  ledge.  Had  he  been  without  a  burden 
he  might  have  crossed  easily  down  near  the  river, 
but  under  the  circumstances,  it  was  necessary  to 
make  a  detour.  It  was  very  gloomy  up  in  the  fringe 
of  forest  where  he  proposed  crossing,  and  so  deep 
and  thick  were  the  moss  and  grass  growth  that  he 
made  no  sound  as  he  stepped  forward.  He  finally 
reached  a  spot  where  he  could  cross  this  swale,  and 
was  making  his  way  up  its  bottom,  to  avoid  the 
slight  bluff  on  the  other  side,  when,  as  he  rounded 
a  small,  thick  clump  of  spruce,  which  pushed  out 
from  among  the  larger  growth,  he  was  startled 
nearly  out  of  his  wits  by  a  hoarse,  deep  growl  not 
twenty  yards  from  him.  At  the  same  moment, 
from  the  sward,  what  he  had  at  first  supposed  to  be 
a  long,  low  clump  of  brush  reared  up  on  end  and 


354  REX  WAY^AND'S  FORTUNE 

stood  there  eight  or  ten  feet  high.  Dark  as  it  was 
(Rex's  eyesight  seemed  to  be  phenomenally  strong 
just  then),  he  saw  that  he  was  confronted  by  a  bear, 
the  largest  he  had  ever  seen,  either  in  captivity  or 
elsewhere.  Coming  up  the  slope  without  a  noise, 
and  the  thick  spruce  growth  having  shut  off  all 
scent,  he  had  been  enabled  to  walk  up  and  take  this 
giant  of  the  bear  species  completely  by  surprise. 

During  the  thirty  seconds  they  stood  there  facing 
each  other,  Rex  noted  the  ghastly  white  mask  of  the 
animal,  and  from  what  he  had  heard  knew  that  he 
was  now  facing  that  most  dreaded  of  all  the  bear 
kind,  a  bald-face,  and  from  its  size,  he  judged  it  to 
be  a  male.  The  bear  had  stood  motionless,  but  from 
the  savage  growl  he  kept  rolling  up  from  deep  down 
in  his  interior,  Rex  knew  that  the  animal  had  been 
scared  enough  to  render  him  fighting  mad,  and  he 
felt  that  he  was  in  for  it  and  could  not  escape  with- 
out a  scrimmage.  From  the  bear's  actions  he  felt 
certain  that  a  movement  toward  retreat  would  be 
the  signal  for  a  charge.  In  the  face  of  this  fearful 
danger  he  was,  to  his  own  surprise,  as  cool  as  he 
ever  was  in  his  life,  and  it  was  with  a  perfectly 
steady  voice  that  he  began  bantering  the  bear  in  the 
hope  of  throwing  him  off  his  guard,  perhaps  driving 
him  away. 

"And  so  I  startled  you,  did  I,  old  chap?  Well, 
you've  no  need  to  get  so  mad  about  it.  Now  watch 
me  slide  out  of  this  pack — jumped  a  little  then, 
didn't  you?  Growl  if  you  want  to,  but  keep  your 
distance.  Just  you  come  toward  me  on  those  hind 
legs  and  I'll  drill  you  one  for  luck,  if  it's  the  last 


A  BOY,  A  MAN  AND  A  BALD-FACE  BEAR     355 

thing  I  ever  do.  Head  up  there!  Face  front! 
Don't  you  come  down  on  all  fours  at  me,  or  I'll  put 
a  ball  through  the  whole  length  of  you.  That's 
right!  Keep  quiet  now!  I'm  going  to  make  more 
noise."  Rex  had  been  gradually  raising  his  voice, 
and  now  he  called  out  loud  enough  for  Elias  at  the 
camp,  less  than  five  hundred  yards  away,  to  hear: 
"Elias!  Oh,  Elias!  Come  quick,  and  bring  the  gun  !" 
At  this  the  bear  came  down  on  all  fours,  and 
thinking  him  about  to  charge,  Rex  was  on  the  point 
of  shooting,  when  the  bear  seemed  to  think  better 
of  it,  and  backed  off  a  few  feet,  exposing  the  side  of 
his  great  head.  Rex  stood  still  a  full  minute,  and  then 
did  a  very  foolish  thing.  The  temptation  was  too 
strong,  and  he  risked  a  shot  at  the  butt  of  the  bear's 
ear.  Even  as  he  pulled  the  trigger  he  knew  that  he 
had  shot  too  high,  but  he  saw  the  bear  go  down,  and 
stooping  low,  to  avoid  his  own  smoke,  he  ran  for  a 
tree,  thirty  feet  or  more  away,  throwing  out  his  shell 
as  he  did  so.  As  he  reached  the  tree,  he  turned  to 
see  the  bear  charging  straight  at  him,  and  with 
every  hair  erect.  He  dodged  around  the  tree,  and 
before  the  bear  could  check  his  rush  and  make  a 
turn,  the  boy  caught  him  with  a  second  shot  some- 
where in  the  lower  jaw  and  back  toward  the  throat. 
Rex  was  small,  very  agile  and  perfectly  cool,  else  he 
must  at  this  instant  have  been  killed,  for,  although 
the  bear  went  down  again,  he  rolled  to  the  ver}r  spot 
where  Rex  had  stood,  and  with  blows  of  paws  and 
tearing  of  teeth  made  roots  and  grass  fly  in  all  direc- 
tions. Meanwhile,  Rex  was  running  backward  and, 
seeing  an  opportunity,  shot  again.     Just  as  he  pulled 


356  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

the  trigger  his  foot  caught  in  the  crotch  of  a  low 
bush,  and  he  went  down,  his  bullet  flying  high  and 
doing  the  bear  no  harm.  Half  stunned  by  his  heavy 
fall,  he  lay  motionless  for  a  second  or  two,  a  delay 
which  proved  well  nigh  fatal  to  him.  He  came  to 
his  senses  just  in  time  to  see  the  bear  rushing  upon 
him,  blood  dripping  from  its  open  jaws.  Hardly 
knowing  what  he  did,  the  boy  rose  partly  up,  and 
even  as  he  felt  the  hot  breath  of  the  big  brute  blow- 
ing in  his  face,  jammed  his  rifle  barrel  with  all  his 
strength  between  the  open  jaws.  As  the  weapon 
was  wrested  from  him,  he  pulled  the  trigger  again, 
but  the  gun  failed  to  go  off.  Another  gun  did  go 
off,  however,  for  Elias  was  now  close  at  hand,  and, 
yelling  like  a  Comanche  Indian,  he  poured  a  big 
charge  of  heavy  buckshot  into  the  side  of  the  bear's 
neck  at  short  range.  Although  the  creature  went 
down  like  a  log,  Elias  gave  hini  the  other  barrel  in 
the  region  of  the  heart,  and  backing  off  threw  his 
shells  and  slipped  two  more  in  their  places. 

"Don't  tear  that  bear  hide  any  more;  he's  got 
enough,"  called  out  Rex,  and  then  he  seemed  going 
off  into  a  faint,  for  the  semi-darkness  now  became 
blackness,  with  sparks  of  fire  flashing  through  it. 
However,  he  did  not  faint,  and  by  the  time  Elias  got 
around  to  him  was  on  his  hands  and  knees,  endeavor- 
ing to  rise.  "Where's  my  gun,  Elias?  Did  he 
spoil  it?" 

"No,  he  didn't  spoil  it.  He  kim  near  spoilin'  you, 
though.     Hello!     Did  ye  hear  that  splash?' 

"Yes,  I  did,  Elias,  and  I  believe  there  was  another 
bear  in  here  with  this  one." 


A  BOY,  A  MAN  AND  A  BALD-FACE  BEAR     357 

"Nonsense!  Thar  wan't  a  pair  on  'em,  or  she'd 
'a  joined  in  the  fight." 

"Yes,  there  was.  I  saw  her,  or  some  object  I  took 
to  be  a  bear,  sneaking  around  behind  me  just  before 
I  fell.  Come  on!"  And  he  ran  for  the  river.  "See 
how  wet  it  is  on  the  gravel  there.  She  went  out 
right  below  the  camp.  There!  See  her?  There  she 
goes;  right  through  that  glade  up  back  of  the  camp." 

Elias  looked  just  in  time  to  see  a  large  animal  rush 
across  the  opening  and  disappear.  Plunging  into 
the  river,  which  was  here  shallow,  he  went  across, 
examined  the  ground  and  called  out,  "By  jing! 
you're  right!  She's  a  whale,  too,  judgin'  from  her 
track,  but  we  don't  wanter  foller  her  to-night."  As 
he  came  back  he  continued:  "Say,  boy!  Do  you 
know  what  that  is  you've  kilt?" 

"What  it  was  you  killed,  you'd  better  say,  Mr. 
Elias.  It  was  your  old  shotgun  that  did  the 
business.      I'd  been  all  chewed  up  but  for  you." 

Elias  chuckUd.  "No,  you're  wrong.  He  might 
'a  killed  you  but  for  me;  but;  he'd  'a  died  sure,  fer 
you  got  him  that  second  shot  through  the  juglar. 
That  first  shot  went  out  the  top  of  his  head  an'  any 
other  animal  but  this  feller  would  'a  kerflummuxed. 
However,  it's  jest  as  you  say.  He'd  'a  chawed  an' 
clawed  an'  bit  the  gizzard  outen  ye  'fore  he'd  a 
shuffled  off,  if  I  hadn't  blowed  a  cat  hole  inter  his 
heart  case.  But  say!  What  ever  put  it  inter  yer 
head  to  holler  to  me?  I  never  knowed  a  youngster 
ner  nobody  else  ter  do  that  afore.  If  ye  hadn't, 
though,  you'd  'a  ben  a  goner,  fer  I  didn't  git  here  a 
millionth  of  a  second  too  soon. ' ' 


358  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

Rex  laughed.  "I  don't  know  what  made  me  do 
it,  Elias,  neither  do  I  know  what  made  me  talk  to 
the  bear,  but  I  did,"  and  he  proceeded  to  tell  Elias 
what  he  had  said.  "But,  Elias,  what  made  him 
attack  me?  I  hadn't  hurt  him.  Was  it  because  I 
scared  him?" 

"That  was  it,  boyee.  I  think  if  ye'd  'a  backed 
slowly  off  even  then  he'd  'a  let  ye  go;  but  ye  stood 
yer  ground,  an'  he  knew  from  the  way  ye  acted  that 
ye'd  drill  him  if  he  turned  tail  an'  run.  Bears 
know  a  heap  an'  they  think  quick." 

The  two  now  proceeded  to  examine  the  bear  by 
the  light  of  a  torch,  which  Elias  improvised  from 
some  cedar  splinters,  and  as  they  did  so,  Elias 
muttered:  "If  it  don't  beat  the  dickens.  Here  he 
is  agin.  Luck!  Jest  luck!  Men  in  this  country 
hunt  all  their  lives  an'  never  git  a  crack  at  anything 
like  this,  yet  this  little  rooster  comes  up  here  an' 
'fore  -  his  feet  gits  toughened,  kills  the  biggest 
cougar  'long  shore,  an'  now  he's  laid  out  a  ball-face." 

"What's  that  you're  saying,  Elias?    I  didn't  hear." 

"Oh,  nothin'  much.  I  was  jest  thinkin'  out  loud. 
But  say,  ye  know  we  got  to  git  that  hide  outen  these 
hills  if  we  don't  git  anythin'  else,  fcr  they's  lots  an' 
lots  o'  people  what  don't  believe  they's  any  ball-face 
in  here.  Fer  a  fact,  it's  reg'lar  talk  over  in  Seattle. 
I  guess  some  fellers  '11  be  bug-eyed  when  they  see 
this.  Ain*t  he  a  whale?  He'll  go  one  thousand 
four  hundred  sure.  That  hide,  if  'twas  mine, 
couldn't  be  bought.  See  that  mouth  an'  them  teeth. 
Thunder!     How  party  he  is!" 

"Yes;  but,  Elias,  you  killed  him." 


A  BOY,  A  MAN  AND  A  BALD-FACE  BEAR     359 

"The  Old  Boy  I  did!  Say,  didn't  I  tell  ye  he'd  'a 
died  from  that  second  or  third  shot  o'  yourn?  Yer 
first  shot  might  'a  done  it  in  time.  Yer  second  shot 
struck  the  very  seat  o'  life  if  it'd  ben  a  hoss  or  any 
other  ordinary  critter.  I  only  hurried  matters;  so 
don't  let  me  hear  any  more  o'  that,  but  jest  take 
hold  an'  help  skin  this  feller.  You're  gittin'  lazy  as 
well  as  contrary.  You'll  be  claimin'  I  found  them 
chists  yet,  an'  wantin'  me  to  share  with  ye."  Thus 
Elias  ran  on,  working  like  a  good  fellow  all  the  time, 
and  as  Rex  was  not  as  handy  and,  in  fact,  in  the  way, 
he  decided  to  busy  himself  starting  a  fire,  both  for 
warmth  and  light.  It  was  as  much  as  both  could 
do  to  roll  the  great  carcass  about  so  as  to  get  the 
hide  off  it,  and  it  was  not  until  nine  o'clock  that, 
with  the  head  and  hide  on  a  stretcher  between  them, 
they  toiled  up  to  camp.  Elias  could  have  carried  it 
alone  had  they  taken  time  to  bind  it  up  with  cords, 
but  in  its  present  shape  it  was  so  slippery  and 
heavy  no  man  could  gather  it  up  in  his  arms.  As 
they  were  in  haste  and  had  but  a  short  distance  to 
go,  they  made  a  sort  of  stretcher,  piled  up  the  skull 
and  hide  on  it,  and  thus  carried  this  splendid  trophy 
to  camp.  Then  the)T  felt  the  need  of  another  supper. 
This  eaten,  they  replenished  the  fire  and  beneath 
the  wonderfully  bright  stars  lay  down  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 

ELIAS  DEPARTS   AND  REX  IS  HUNTED  BY   WOLVES 

A    HAIR-RAISING    EXPERIENCE 

At  a  very  early  hour  Elias  awoke  Rex  and  bade 
him  prepare  breakfast,  while  he  felled  some  trees  to 
give  him  an  appetite,  as  he  claimed.  Going-  to  a 
clump  of  cedar  averaging-  about  ten  inches  in 
diameter,  he  soon  felled  a  dozen  and  on  his  return 
to  camp  found  breakfast  ready.  Immediately  after 
breakfast  he  began  cutting  the  trees  into  six  and 
eight  foot  lengths,  selecting  only  such  as  were  seven 
inches  in  diameter  at  the  top.  Elias  was  able  to 
carry  any  of  these  logs  to  camp  on  his  shoulder,  but 
Rex  found  few  he  could  lift.  By  nine  o'clock  the 
logs  were  all  on  the  ground  and  then  the  notching 
and  placing  commenced,  the  giant  and  his  helper 
pushing  this  work  forward  with  all  possible  speed. 
At  noon  the  pen  was  three  feet  high  and  a  door-post 
had  been  set  two  feet  from  the  corner,  into  which 
logs  six  feet  in  length  were  roughly  mortised. 
Against  the  corner  opposite  the  door-post  was  set  a 
spruce  with  projecting  limbs  which  were  put  through 
under  each  log  as  it  was  laid  on,  and  brought  back 
over  on  top  to  be  held  by  the  next  above.  This 
spruce  made  a  good  door- jamb.  At  three  o'clock 
the  walls  of  the  house  were  up  about  six  feet  and 
Elias  had  felled  a  cedar  two  feet  six  inches  through 
for    shakes.     Shakes,     or    what     would    be    called 

360 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  361 

enormous  unshaven  shingles  in  the  east,  are  very 
common  in  the  Puget  Sound  region,  where  entire 
houses  and  barns  are  built  out  of  them.  So  straight 
of  grain  is  the  cedar  and  so  easily  split  that  shakes 
almost  equal  to  the  best  of  boards  and  of  any  thick- 
ness desired  are  readily  obtained.  For  instance,  for 
the  roof  Elias  split  them  one-half  inch  thick  and 
almost  as  smooth  as  if  planed.  The  center  shake, 
which  was  eight  inches  thick  to  avoid  the  rotten 
heart  so  sure  to  be  found  in  cedars  of  any  size,  was 
two  feet  six  inches  in  width,  and  being  split  down  to 
the  proper  size  and  set  up  on  end  against  the  jamb 
mentioned,  made  an  excellent  door.  The  roofing 
of  this  cabin  or  shack  was  finished  just  before  dark, 
and,  as  Elias  declared,  "it  would  shed  water  till  the 
cows  kim  home. " 

The  cabin  had  been  built  against  the  ledge,  and  a 
hollow  alder  log  set  some  four  feet  above  the  fire  on 
the  edge  of  the  ledge  made  an  excellent  chimney, 
and  owing  to  the  coal-like  character  of  their  fir-bark 
fuel,  was  hardly  liable  to  catch  fire.  Rex  felt  more 
secure  in  such  a  camp  and  was  thankful  enough  that 
it  was  completed,  when  on  the  following  morning 
Elias  left  him  for  his  journey  to  the  coast.  He  sat 
in  the  doorway  in  the  gray  light  of  the  early  morning 
and  watched  the  stalwart  fellow,  as  without  other 
pack  than  a  quantity  of  cooked  meat,  some  cooked 
beans  in  a  tin  can,  some  very  strong  coffee  in  a  bot- 
tle, some  camp  bread  and  a  quantity  of  flour  mixed 
with  baking  powder,  all  wrapped  in  his  blanket,  he 
made  his  way  up  the  trail  to  the  pass  leading  from 
the  valley.     On  reaching  the  sky-line,  Elias  turned, 


I 


HE  TOOK  A  QUICK  SIGHT  AND  FIRED. 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  363 

looked  long  and  earnestly  back  at  the  cabin,  and 
chen,  with  a  wave  of  his  long  arm,  shouldered  his 
big  gun,  took  a  step  or  two,  disappeared  and  Rex 
was  alone. 

How  still  it  seemed!  The  sun  had  not  yet  come 
up,  but  was  tingeing  the  tops  of  the  tallest  peaks 
round  about  with  a  roseate  hue.  Away  down  the 
valley  a  small  herd  of  elk,  just  coming  out  of  the 
woods,  huddled  and  gazed  curiously  at  the  smoke 
curling  up  from  the  rude  chimney  on  the  knoll.  In 
two  swales  or  runs  on  the  side  of  the  mountains  first 
touched  by  the  sun  were  bear — two  in  one  and  one  in 
another — all  busy  digging  and  picking  their  morning 
feed.  A  meat  bird  or  two,  that  pest  of  the  moun- 
tains, fluttered  in  through  the  open  doorway  and 
boldly  picked  at  the   remains  of  the  morning  meal. 

One  of  these  birds  gravely  selected  a  case-knife 
and  started  out  of  the  door  with  it,  but  dropped 
it,  dodged,  and  flew  perhaps  fifteen  inches  as  Rex 
shied  a  stone  at  it.  Then  it  stopped,  looked  at  him 
with  first  one  beady  eye  and  then  with  the  other, 
and  as  it  rolled  its  head,  chirped.  Rex  knocked  it 
off  its  feet  with  a  piece  of  bark,  and  as  it  fluttered 
away,  looking  back  as  if  surprised,  he  sat  and 
watched  the  daylight  creep  into  the  lower  and  darker 
portions  of  the  valley's  solitude.  With  the  sun  came 
up  a  slight  wind  which  moaned  dismally  about  the 
crags  and  peaks  above. 

"I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  get  out  of  here  alive," 
thought  the  boy,  a  feeling  of  such  loneliness  as  he 
had  not  anticipated  oppressing  him.  "Well,  this 
won't  do.     I've  got  to  occupy  myself  in  some  way,'' 


364  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

he  remarked  aloud,  and  started  at  the  sound  of  his 
own  voice.  "Great  Scott!  But  isn't  it  lonely!  I 
wonder  how  a  man  can  strike  out  here  alone  and 
live  for  months  as  such  fellows  as  Elias  do?" 

His  first  task  was  to  put  things  in  order  about  the 
camp  and  wash  some  beans  to  cook  for  his  dinner. 
It  generally  took  five  hours  to  cook  beans  up  there, 
and  as  he  wished  to  eat  at  noon,  it  was  necessary  to 
commence  preparations  now.  Next  he  took  up  his 
rifle  and  the  axe  Elias  had  left,  and  started  toward 
the  bear  swale  across  the  river  to  cut  spruce  brush 
for  the  bed  which  they  had  not  had  time  to  make 
the  day  before.  While  thus  engaged,  a  herd  of 
seventy-five  or  eighty  elk  came  into  the  valley  by 
the  pass  through  which  Elias  had  departed,  and  in 
an  orderly  manner  marched  down  toward  the  south- 
east. About  two  hundred  yards  opposite  the  camp 
they  paused  and  stared  at  this  strange  structure,  the 
like  of  which  they  had  never  seen  before.  In  all 
probability  none  of  them  had  ever  seen  a  human 
being,  unless  they  had  happened  to  see  Elias  as  he 
went  out.  As  they  stood  still  gazing  curiously,  Rex 
wished  most  heartily  for  a  kodak  that  he  might  pre- 
serve this  remarkable  sight  for  the  inspection  of  his 
friends,  who,  living  in  cities,  were  inclined  to  the 
belief  that  there  is  no  big  game  left  in  the  United 
States. 

All  day  Rex  worked  about  the  cabin  or  in  its 
vicinity,  and  thus  passed  the  hours.  Elias  had 
stretched  the  bear  hide,  rubbed  it  with  salt  and 
alum,  and  in  the  warm  sun  and  dry  air  it  was  drying 
fast.     Rex  spent  much  time  fleshing  this.     As  the 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  365 

daylight  began  to  fade  outside,  he  put  up  his  door, 
pinned  it  fast,  and  throwing  a  quantity  of  bark  on 
the  fire,  sat  down  in  the  light  it  afforded  to  read  a 
book  Elias  had  left.  The  light  was  poor,  but  he 
managed  to  read  until  sleepy,  and  then,  rolling  up 
in  his  blankets,  slept  soundly  until  morning  on  the 
fresh  spruce  bed.  During  that  day  he  made  several 
torches  for  evening  use,  but  did  not  go  far  from 
camp.  He  shot  a  grouse  just  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  where  it  had  been  hooting  all  the  morning. 
It  was  the  first  brown  grouse  he  had  seen  since  com- 
ing into  the  mountains,  and  was  a  cock  of  the  largest 
size.  These  fine  birds  are  to  the  pheasant  or  par- 
tridge tribe  what  the  turkey  is  to  the  fowl  tribe. 
That  is  to  say,  they  are  very  much  larger  than 
pheasants  generally.  The  males  have  warts  on  the 
neck  similar  to  those  on  the  neck  of  the  turkey 
cock,  and  the  meat  is  of  the  choicest  flavor  imagi- 
nable. In  the  higher  mountains  of  the  Olympic 
peninsula  they  are  generally  pure  white,  and  are  in 
many  respects  similar  to  the  ptarmigan  of  the 
Arctic  regions,  with  which  they  are  popularly  con- 
founded. Rex  made  a  stew  of  this  fellow,  cooking 
him  slowly  about  three  hours,  and  about  forty 
minutes  before  he  judged  him  done,  he  put  in  a  tea- 
cupful  of  rice.  This,  becoming  flavored  by  the 
meat,  was  most  delicious,  and  as  he  ate  his  fill  and 
lay  back  sighing  with  satisfaction,  he  only  wished 
Elias  had  been  there  to  enjoy  the  feast  with  him. 

Thus  the  days  dragged  along  until  four  had 
elapsed  since  Elias'  departure,  and  Rex  retired  to 
rest  that  fourth  night  resolved  to  so  far  break  his 


366  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

promise  as  to<go  out  for  a  deer  or  young  elk  on  the 
following  morning.  After  the  bear-killing  episode 
Elias  had  made  him  promise  that  he  would  not  go 
out  for  big  game  while  he  was  away,  and  this 
promise  he  had  kept  until  his  desire  for  fresh  veni- 
son caused  him  to  reason  that  Elias  surely  could 
have  no  objections  to  his  going  out  a  little  distance 
for  a  deer  or  young  elk. 

"If  I  meet  any  bear  I'll  walk  right  along  and  not 
molest  them,"  he  thought.  He  had  determined  to 
start  in  the  early  morning,  as  at  that  hour  the  deer 
were  more  active;  so  just  as  the  eastern  sky  began 
to  lighten,  he  crept  down  the  valley  toward  a  herd 
of  what  he  believed  to  be  black-tailed  deer.  He 
had  gone  to  all  this  trouble  to  satisfy  his  sportsman- 
like instinct  and  not  because  it  was  necessary.  He 
well  knew  that  he  might  have  shot  one  from  his 
cabin  door  during  the  day  as  they  passed  along,  but 
he  preferred  to  stalk  them.  It  seemed  more  like 
hunting. 

By  the  time  it  was  broad  daylight  he  had  gone  more 
than  a  mile  from  camp,  and  was  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  his  game,  stealing  forward  guardedly,  every 
nerve  tingling  with  excitement.  Suddenly,  without 
warning,  the  whole  herd  stampeded  toward  the 
pass,  were  up  the  slope  and  over  it  before  Rex 
could  account  for  their  strange  behavior. 

"That's  queer!"  he  muttered.  "Wonder  what 
frightened  'em  so?"  As  he  thus  soliloquized,  a 
long-drawn,  shrill  cry  arose  from  the  western  divide, 
suggesting  the  sound  of  a  tug  whistle.  "Can't  be 
possible,"  he  mused.     "Puget  Sound  is  fifty  miles 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  367 

or  more  due  east  as  the  eagle  flies,  the  Pacific  is 
nearly  as  far  west,  while  the  straits  are  eighty  miles 
north.  And  yet" — "Woo-0-00!"  came  again  the 
long-drawn  note.  He  paused  and  listened,  but  not 
a  sound  now  came  to  his  ears,  except  the  rush  of 
the  waters  through  the  valley  and  the  moan  of  the 
wind  about  the  crags  so  far  above. 

"It's  queer  how  these  sounds  are  swept  about 
through  these  passes  by  the  winds.  Xow,  who 
would  believe  I  could  hear  a  steamer  whistle  this  dis- 
tance inland?  Why,  I  must  be  in  the  very  center  of 
this  Olympic  Peninsula,  and  this  valley  is  shut  in  by 
high  mountains  at   that;    yet  that  sound   came   as 

clear    and    distinct    as- Hello!     There   it  goes 

again!  By  thunder!  That's  no  steamer  whistle! 
That's  a  chorus  of  big  wolves.  I've  heard  wolves 
before,  but  I  never  heard  so  heavy  a  chorus  as  that. 
Great  Scott!  They're  coming  through  this  valley!" 
As  he  thus  spoke  half  under  his  breath,  there  was  a 
sharp  "wow-ow!"  on  one  ridge,  a  shriller  yell  from 
the  opposite  ridge  and  answering  calls  from  all  along 
down  the  valley.  Thrice  were  these  sharp  calls 
repeated  and  answered,  while  at  the  same  time, 
from  under  the  cloud  banks  the  morning  breezes 
were  rolling  up,  came  sounds  of  falling  gravel,  slate 
and  rocks.  As  the  last  note  of  the  third  call  died 
away,  to  the  left  sounded  a  hoarser,  more  powerful 
yell.  In  truth  it  was  a  howl  of  such  volume  and  so 
resonant  that  a  Mount  ^Etna  lion  might  well  have 
listened  with  envy.  As  it  rolled  up,  it  was  joined 
by  a  score  of  imitators,  some  fairly  rivaling  it,  and 
the  grand  chorus  was  one  that  any  novice  would  be 


368       REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

very  apt  to  set  down  as  the  hoarse  note  of  a  distant 
steamboat  whistle.  It  had  hardly  died  away  when 
the  yelping  commenced  again,  this  time  much  nearer. 
Adown  the  mountain  sides  and  over  the  ledges, 
slate,  stone  and  gravel  were  everywhere  rattling, 
showing  that  wolves  were  coming  from  all  directions 
and  that  in  haste ;  and  when  the  next  grand  chorus 
was  raised  it  was  so  unearthly,  so  blood-curdling 
and  so  close  by  that  Rex  felt  a  sensation  he  had 
never  before  experienced — the  cold  chills  were  rush- 
ing upward  just  back  of  his  ears,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
his  hair  stood  straight  out  behind,  if  not  upward. 

There  was  not  a  small  tree  within  a  half-mile. 
There  was  not,  in  fact,  a  tree  of  any  kind  within 
five  hundred  yards.  The  nearest  trees  were  too 
large  to  climb  even  if  he  had  dared  make  for  the 
edge  of  that  gloomy  wood.  He  stood  irresolute, 
heartily  wishing  himself  back  in  his  snug  camp. 
But  the  yells  were  from  that  direction  too,  and  he 
knew  that  danger  lay  up  the  valley.  He  must  stand 
his  ground  and  shoot  fast.  It  was  the  only  way  to 
check  them  if  they  attacked  him.  Perhaps  they 
would  not.  In  this  hope  he  found  short  solace, 
however,  for  even  as  he  entertained  it  two  huge  black 
fellows,  larger  than  any  St.  Bernard  or  mastiff  he 
had  ever  seen,  only  more  lithe  and  slim,  bounded 
out  from  the  deep  shadow  of  the  woods  to  the 
northeast  and  came  across  the  green  grass  straight 
toward  him.  How  they  did  come !  It  seemed  as  if 
they  were  running  a  race  and  he  the  goal.  They 
came  on  until  he  could  see  their  flapping  red 
tongues,  the  gleam  of  their  cruel   white  teeth,  the 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  36c 

flash  of  their  great  eyes,  when  whisk!  and  with  a 
turn  that  seemed  to  fairly  snap  their  tails,  they 
whirled  and  ran  for  the  shadow  of  the  woods  again. 
These  were  followed  by  three  more  that  came  yet 
nearer.  All  that  had  come  forward  were  black, 
but  now  he  noticed  some  half-a-dozen  gray  fellows 
squatted  along-  the  edge  of  the  woods.  Fur  an 
instant  it  had  been  comparatively  quiet,  but  now 
came  the  "wow-ow!  wow-ow!"  again,  and  then  the 
hair-raising  chorus  in  which  all  seemed  to  join; 
those  on  the  edge  of  the  forest  elevating  their  noses 
to  the  sky  and  howling  until  their  entire  bodies,  even 
at  that  distance,  could  be  seen  to  quiver. 

"There  may  not  be  more  than  fifty  of  them,  but 
judging  from  the  racket  there  ought  to  be  a 
million,"  thought  Rex.  He  passed  his  finger  along 
his  cartridge  belt  and  counted  forty-three  of  his  40.82 
cartridges.  "These  with  nine  in  my  gun  make 
fifty-two,"  he  muttered.  "Gentlemen,  if  you  come 
nearer  I  shall  open  up  and  I  think  I  can  pump  a 
few  of  you  into  wolf-heaven  before  you  reach  me." 
It  now  seemed  apparent  that  a  large  pack  had  set 
out  on  a  hunt  for  deer  or  elk,  moving  in  company 
as  they  generally  do;  but  the  deer,  hearing  them, 
had  fled  the  valley,  and  the  wolves,  smelling  other 
live  prey  and  being  gathered  in  number  sufficient  to 
render  them  unusually  bold,  had  surrounded  Rex. 
He  now  remembered  to  have  heard  Elias  tell  how 
these  huge  wild  dogs  would  surround  a  mountain  val- 
ley, by  howls  frighten  the  deer  or  elk  into  the  open 
center,  and  then  descending,  attack,  slaughter  and 
feast    upon    them.       These    had    been   their   tactics 


37o  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

this  morning,  but  the  deer  escaping,  the  boy  himself 
was  left  to  face  the  unwelcome  visitors.  All  this 
passed  through  his  mind  swift  as  thought.  Mean- 
while the  wolves  were  making  sallies  or  howling  in 
chorus,  and  each  sally  was  nearer  their  intended 
victim. 

At  this  instant,  coming  directly  at  him,  were  a 
pair  of  large  blacks  and  a  slim  gray  of  larger  frame 
than  any  he  had  yet  seen.  They  came  to  within 
sevrenty-five  yards,  Rex  with  tightly  gripped  gun, 
standing  like  a  statue,  when — whisk !  and  they  were 
about  again,  racing  to  the  cover  of  the  woods.  Rex 
was  ever  a  quick  rifle-shot,  as  many  bird-hunters 
are,  and  now,  every  faculty  inspired  by  desperation, 
he  drew  up,  took  a  quick  sight  and  fired.  The 
gray  was  hit  in  the  hips  and  forged  ahead  of  his 
mates,  rolling  over  and  over  like  a  coiled  clock- 
spring.  His  black  companions  running  beside  him 
looked  over  their  shoulders,  uttered  a  peculiar, 
wolfish  cry,  and  made  straight  at  him.  They  had 
smelled  his  blood  and  were  bent  on  cannibalism. 
They  reached  him  and  pounced  upon  him,  but  had 
hardly  torn  the  first  mouthful  of  hairy  hide,  when 
out  from  the  woods  all  along  came  the  entire  pack 
like  a  swarm  of  flies,  their  object  the  three  wolves 
struggling  on  the  green  sward  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  yards  distant.  To  say  that  Rex  was 
excited  would  be  to  draw  it  mildly.  He  was  fairly 
terrified.  Scarcely  knowing  what  he  did,  he  pumped 
his  remaining  eight  shots  into  the  advancing  pack 
in  as  many  seconds,  and,  with  frantic  haste,  shoved 
nine    more   cartridges   into   the    hot    gun.     As  the 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  371 

smoke  cleared  away  an  awful  sight  presented  itself 
and  he  stood  spellbound,  watching  it  with  a  terrible 
fascination.  His  shots  had  wounded  or  killed  a 
half-dozen  wolves  at  least,  and  these  were  now  being 
devoured  by  the  remaining  two  hundred  or  more  of 
their  fellows.  The  din  of  snarls,  yells,  gnashing, 
snapping  teeth  and  tearing  flesh  and  sinew  was 
something  awful,  but  it  was  over  within  five 
minutes,  and  as  swiftly  as  they  had  come,  only 
more  quietly,  the  pack  sneaked  back  to- the  forest, 
and  under  its  cover  away  up  the  valley. 

Trembling  and  shivering  as  with  an  ague  chill, 
Rex  finally  gathered  courage  to  go  over  to  the  scene 
of  the  slaughter.  A  paw  or  an  ear  here  and  there, 
bunches  of  hair,  both  black  and  gray,  a  section  of 
vertebrae,  blood  and  viscera  smeared  over  all  the 
grass — these  were  the  sights  he  beheld,  and  sick 
with  horror  he  started  on  a  run  toward  his  camp. 
A  cup  of  coffee  restored  him  somewhat,  but  he  did 
not  for  hours  recover  his  nerve;  and  that  night 
awoke  at  intervals  with  a  start  to  fall  again  into 
troubled  slumber.  He  did  not  care  to  go  out  hunt- 
ing again,  and  for  forty-eight  hours  not  a  deer 
appeared  in  the  valley.  The  third  morning  on 
arising,  however,  he  saw  a  herd  working  down  the 
valley,  and  as  they  filed  past  his  cabin  door  he  shot 
a  yearling.  Some  of  this  meat  he  ate;  but  the 
greater  portion  he  used  up  in  an  attempt  to  make 
Elias'  "pimmikin. "  He  had  a  large  quantity  of  fat 
on  hand  which  he  had  secured  some  time  before 
Elias  left  from  two  "whistling  pigs"  shot  near  the 
crater.     As  these  are  very  peculiar  animals,  rarely 


5T2  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

found    anywhere    outside    the    Olympic    region,    a 
description  of  them  may  not  be  out  of  place. 

Properly  speaking,  a  "whistling  pig"  is  not  a  pig 
but  a  marmot  of  the  mountains.  Ranging  in  weight 
from  twelve  to  sixty  pounds,  they  are  found  only 
above  the  snow-line  and  never  among  trees.  They 
have  a  pointed  nose  like  a  rat  and  a  head  much  like 
a  woodchuck.  The  teeth  are  of  the  rodentia  order. 
At  all  ages  and  sizes  they  are  very  fat,  their  rotund 
bellies  actually  dragging  on  the  ground  as  they 
waddle  about  on  their  short  legs.  Grayish-white  in 
color,  ver3T  keen  of  eye  and  constantly  on  the  alert, 
they  are  rarely  seen  by  the  mountain-climber  until 
heard.  He  is  toiling  up,  perhaps  to  gain  an  elevated 
position  from  which  to  shoot  at  a  herd  of  elk,  when 
from  just  above  a  snow-bank  is  a  quick  movement, 
and  clear  and  shrill  sounds  the  whistle  of  these 
creatures.  It  is  an  ear-piercing  note,  and  always 
heeded  by  the  elk  as  a  warning  that  a  foe  is  near. 
After  the  elk  has  galloped  away,  the  hunter,  with 
more  or  l@ss  profanity,  crawls  up  nearer  the  holes 
of  this  colony,  and  lies  down  in  the  snow.  Per- 
haps he  lies  there  an  hour;  perhaps  but  five  minutes, 
when  out  of  a  hole  in  the  snow  waddles  the  whistler 
and  looks  about.  The  rifle  cracks  and  he  tumbles 
over,  for  he  is  easy  to  kill.  His  flesh  is  tasteless  and 
as  good  as  lard,  for  he  seems  two-thirds  fat.  With 
some  of  this  Rex  mixed  his  pounded  deer-meat,  and 
had  some  prime  pemmican  as  a  result.  He  had  just 
finished  bagging  it  in  deer  skin  and  had  sat  down  to 
rest  from  his  labors,  when  from  the  top  of  the  ridge 
over  which  Elias  had  disappeared  nine  days  before  a 


REX  IS  HUNTED  BY  WOLVES  373 

report  sounded,  and  almost  immediately  four  men 
stood  in  view,  waving  arms  in  which  were  grins. 
Rex,  forgetting  even  his  rifle,  ran  rapidly  across  the 
valley,  shouting  at  every  other  jump.  Elias  was 
ahead,  and  he  picked  the  boy  clear  from  the  ground 
as  he  embraced  him.  The  reception  of  moist-eyed 
Uncle  Festus  and  smiling  Peroux  and  Perry  was 
scarcely  less  fervent,  and  soon  all  were  seated  in 
the  crowded  little  cabin,  eating  Rex's  "sweet 
pimmikin"  and  drinking  his  coffee. 


CHAPTER   XL 

AND  NOW   FOR  THE  COAST A   TRIP   THAT   TRIES  MEN'S 

SOULS 

"I  brought  the  cole  chisels,"  mumbled  Elias,  with 
his  mouth  full. 

"Yes;  tell  me  more  about  mother,"  was  Rex's 
reply  as  for  the  fourth  or  fifth  time  some  member 
of  the  party  was  obliged  to  tell  the  eager  lad  how 
Mrs.  Wayland  had  first  become  nearly  frantic  when 
Elias  appeared  without  Rex;  had  later  recovered 
her  composure  and  listened  with  white  face  to  the 
story  of  the  recovery  of  the  treasure;  and  had  still 
later  wept  to  think  of  her  boy  alone  in  the  moun- 
tains. 

"I  tell  ye,"  wound  up  Elias.  impressively,  "that 
little  woman  is  a  mother  wuth  havin'.  She's  glad 
to  think  we  found  what  we  went  after,  but  she'd 
sooner  lose  it  all  than  to  know  that  this  boy  o'  hern 
is  to  lose  an  inch  squar'  o'  his  precious  hide  or  a 
meal  o'  vittlcs.  Why,  she  made  me  promise  the 
last  thing  that  I'd  see  he  was  covered  up  warm 
nights  an*  didn't  git  his  feet  wet  comin'  home," 
and  Elias  laughed  at  her  simplicity.  Then  there 
was  a  general  laugh,  at  which  Rex  for  an  instant 
looked  shamefaced,  but  swift  as  the  fleeting  clouds 
above  this  passed,  and  he  bravely  declared : 

"That's  all  right,  gentlemen.  There's  where  I'm 
in  luck.     The  only  regret  I  have  for  this  trip  is  the 

374 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  375 

pain  and  anxiety  my  absence  has  caused  that  simple- 
minded  little  mother  of  mine.  If  we  get  this  treasure 
out,  as  I'm  certain  we  shall,  she  will  never  have  to 
yield  the  first  place,  so  far  as  my  affections  and  her 
worldly  comforts  are  concerned,  to  any  living  woman. 
If  good  living  and  loving  care  can  make  a  woman 
happy,  she  shall  have  them." 

"Never  take  any  great  thought  'bout  the  good 
livin',  my  boy,"  said  Uncle  Festus,  gravely.  "I 
don't  know  much  about  wimmin,  but  I  know  jest 
enough  to  know  that  if  them  they  love  do  their  best 
an'  show  'em  that  they  love  an'  value  'em,  they  kin 
stand  'most  any  hardship  an'  be  happy  as  the  day  is 
long.  Ain't  I  seen  that  delikit  little  woomern  a- 
bucklin'  to  it  'round  camp,  hustlin',  contrivin',  an' 
usin'  every  endeavor  ter  make  a  good  showin'  so't 
I'd  think  her  boy  was  airnin'  all  I  paid  him?  She's 
jest  like  all  good  wimmen,  only  more  so.  She  lives 
an'  her  sun  rises  an'  sets  in  her  boy.  I  bet  she  was 
jest  as  good  to  her  man  when  she  had  him.  It's 
partly  her  nater,  and  partly  the  trainin'  she's  gin 
herself.  You  fellers  think  you've  done  a  heroic 
thing  comin'  up  in  here,  an'  so  ye  hev,  but  ye  ain't 
strained  yer  narvous  anatomy  half  as  much  as  that 
little  woomern  did  when  she  bid  her  boy  good-by 
and  settled  down  to  be  brave  while  he  was  gone. 
There  she's  ben,  day  after  day,  cheerful  as  she 
could  be  under  the  sarcumstances,  an'  a  durn  sight 
churfeller  'n  what  any  one  o'  us  fellers  'ud  'a  ben. 
One  night  I  heerd  her  in  her  room  a-prayin'.  The 
subjec's  too  sacred  ter  be  talked  about  by  me.  I 
dunno's  I've  any  call  to  tell  on  it,  but  1  went  out 


I    In  ■  *r       ^fe*  hi 


*£*■:  ?»»     :7I 


(:' 


.- 


- 


4- 


#li •>■■/ 


CUTTING  THE  TREASURE  OUT  OF  TIJE  MOUNTAINS. 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  377 

on  the  dock  an'  set  there  an'  looked  over  at  these 
yere  mountains,  layin'  all  broken,  an'  cruel,  an' 
cold  in  the  moonlight,  an'  I  kicked  myself  fer  lettin' 
ye  go.  Yes  I  did,  an'  if  ye  hadn't  'a  come  soon,  ye'd 
'a  seen  one  ole  feller  vip  in  here  after  ye.  I  had  a 
mother  once,  an'  I  didn't  vally  her  as  I'd  orter; 
though  she  was  of  a  leetle  sharper  mettle  an' 
coarser  grain  than  this  little  woomern ;  but  from 
where  she  is  to-night  she  knows  I'm  sorry  I  wasn't 
a  better  son,  an'  that  I'll  never  miss  the  chance  o' 
urgin'  other  boys  to  do  better'n  what  I  did." 

This  homily  had  its  influence  on  Uncle  Festus' 
hearers,  and  for  a  time  all  sat  in  sober  thought. 
The  idea  then  and  there  came  to  Rex  that  he  had 
much  to  thank  God  for.  Chiefest  of  all  was  his 
mother  and  her  love.  Xext,  his  probable  power  to 
make  her  happy,  and  he  resolved  anew  to  do  all  in 
that  direction  that  lay  in  his  power.  His  thoughts 
now  naturally  drifted  to  the  treasure,  and  he  arose 
from  his  meal  to  ask  Elias  for  the  chisels.  These 
were  produced  and  so  was  a  sledge-hammer,  and 
with  Rex  holding  the  chisel  and  Elias  swinging  the 
sledge,  the  work  of  opening  the  nearest  chest  was 
commenced. 

The  brass  was  very  hard  and  the  work  of  cutting 
off  the  first  corner  was  slow  and  tedious.  The  chisel 
had  been  started  about  four  inches  down  from  the 
top  and  the  aim  was  to  work  off  a  corner  about  four 
inches  in  from  the  point  all  round ;  but  so  tough  were 
the  bands  of  brass  and  iron  underneath  and  such  was 
the  thickness  of  the  chest,  it  seemed  as  if  the  hole 
>vou)4  be  much  smaller.     At  last  the  chisel  had  been 


378        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

forced  in  deep  enough  on  one  side  to  slip  through  a 
little  and  something  soft  was  touched. 

11  It's  soft,"  said  Elias,  looking  up  with  big,  round 
eyes  as  he  worked  the  chisel,  "but  all  the  same  it's 
hard — harder  than  a  sack  o'  flour  would  be,  any- 
way. 

"Probably  a  bag  <>'  dust,"  remarked  Uncle  Festus. 

Elias  commenced  cutting  again.  Soon  lie  had  the 
chisel  so  set  that  he  could  drive  it  straight  against 
the  edge  of  the  turned  up  corner  and  now,  all  excite- 
ment, he  swung  his  sledge  mightily,  soon  had  the 
corner  cut  clear  off,  and  picking  up  the  chest  shook 
it,  when  out  dropped  a  small  elk-skin  bag  of  dust 
which  was  followed  by  several  bricks  of  pure  gold, 
about  as  long  as  a  man's  finger  and  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  square.  These  continued  to  rattle  out  until 
there  were  nearly  two  hundred  of  them  on  the 
ground,  as  well  as  several  small  sacks  of  dust.  Some 
of  these  sacks  contained  small  nuggets  as  well  as 
dust.  One  of  these  bags  finally  stuck  in  the  opening 
in  the  corner,  and  being  larger  than  the  rest,  would 
not  drop  out.  "No  use,"  grunted  Elias  after  a  pro- 
longed shake.  "Got  to  cut  the  led  off'n  that  chist. " 
This  he  soon  did  by  putting  the  chisel  to  the  edge 
of  a  thin  section  and  driving  it  around.  It  was  then 
ascertained  that  Elias'  conjecture  regarding  the 
inside  bars  and  springs  was  correct.  A  pair  of 
pinchers  such  as  he  mentioned  would  have  opened 
the  chest  by  the  unaided  effort  of  any  strong  man; 
yet  this  simple  device  had  never  occurred  to  the 
savages,  who  would  not  have  known  enough  to  make 
the  pinchers  had  they  been  aware  of  their  use.     It 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  379 

would  seem  that  the  pair  used  by  Perez  went  to  the 
bottom  with  the  wreck. 

All  the  party  would  have  liked  to  preserve  the 
chests,  and  Elias  and  Rex  were  inclined  to  wait 
until  a  man  could  go  to  the  coast  with  measurements 
and  have  a  pair  of  pinchers  or  clamps  made,,  but 
Uncle  Festus  vetoed  this  scheme  on  the  spot,  say- 
ing: "Boys,  we've  had  enough  climbin'  back  an' 
forth  over  these  cliffs  an'  wallerin'  through  this 
slidin'  snow.  Napoleon's  crossin'  of  the  Spliigen, 
such  as  Sanders'  Fourth  Reader  uster  tell  about, 
ain't  in  it.  What's  an  old  brass  chist  or  two?  Cut 
them  leds  off!  Git  outen  here!  Who  knows  what 
may  foller  us  up  here?  We  may  have  the  hull 
vSiwash  gang  round  our  ears  now.  Suppose  they 
knew  yer  doin's  up  here?  There 'd  be  murder  afoot, 
I  tell  ye,  an'  a  claim  afore  Governor  Rogers  an' 
President  McKinley  an'  the  Lord  only  knows  who 
else.  Ye'd  find  white  men  back  of  'em,  too.  The 
best  way  is  to  git  this  treasure  outen  these  boxes  an' 
pack  it  home.  Destroy  the  original  packages,  too, 
or  at  least  bury  'em,  an'  be  durn  quick  about  it." 

This  sensible  advice  was  heeded,  and  the  lids  of 
the  other  chests  were  soon  off  and  their  contents 
added  to  the  heap  in  the  corner  of  the  cabin.  There 
were  five  hundred  and  twenty-nine  of  the  bars  or 
pigs  of  gold,  and  sixty-three  much  larger  pigs  of 
silver  of  the  same  shape.  It  was  calculated  that  the 
gold  bars  would  weigh  about  five  ounces  each,  and 
were  worth  not  less  than  $85  apiece.  The  silver 
bars,  though  more  than  twice  as  large,  were  worth 
only  about  §15  each.     In  addition  there  was  nearly 


380        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

one-hundred  pounds  of  gold  dust  in  sacks,  and  about 
ninety  pounds  of  silver  Spanish  coin  in  other  sacks, 
mixed  with  which  was  fifty  or  sixty  pounds  of  gold 
coin.  After  a  rough  estimate,  they  decided  that  the 
treasure  entire  was  worth  from  $85,000  to  $90,000, 
and  would  weigh  over  five  hundred  pounds  avoir- 
dupois. The  other  property  they  must  transport  to 
the  sound  could  not  by  any  means  be  narrowed  down 
to  less  than  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds. 
There  was  the  bear-skin,  which,  though  partially 
cured,  would  not  weigh  less  than  fifty  pounds.  The 
elk  horns  Uncle  Festus  judged  would  weigh  seventy- 
five  pounds.  Their  blankets,  tools,  provisions,  etc., 
at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty,  making  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five,  which,  added  to  the  five  hundred 
and  twenty-five  pounds  of  treasure,  made  eight 
hundred  pounds,  or  nearly  half  a  ton  for  five  men. 

"It's  quite  plain  we  don't  want  any  more  stuff  to 
pack  outen  here,"  remarked  Uncle  Festus,  grimly. 

"I'm  good  fer  two  hundred  pounds  outen  here, 
an'  I'll  pack  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds  o'  gold  in  my 
pockets  beside  if  you'll  gin  it  to  me,"  grinned  Elias. 

"I  can  carry  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds 
or  even  more  of  that  metal,"  remarked  Peroux  in 
his  soft  voice,  "and  make  the  coast  in  three  and  a 
half  days,  too,"  he  added. 

"Put  me  down  for  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
pounds  on  an  occasion  like  this,"  chimed  in  Perry. 

Uncle  Festus  sat,  pencil  in  hand,  and  after  some 
figuring  looked  at  Rex  and  asked:  "Can  you  do  one 
hundred  pound  if  I  do  one  hundred  and  fifty?" 

MYes,  or  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds, 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  3«i 

Uncle,  but  what's  the  use  of  all  this  labor?  I  have 
a  scheme.  With  these  tools  at  hand  here  we  can 
make  a  sledge  that  will  weigh  less  than  one  hundred 
pounds,  that  will  carry  the  whole  pack.  It's  not 
bulky.  We  have  wire,  some  nails,  plenty  of  rope, 
and  can  make  the  sledge  in  half  a  day.  We'll  make 
the  bottom  of  it  of  cedar  plank,  two  and  one-half 
inches  thick  and  two  feet  or  more  wide.  A  sledge 
eight  feet  or  less  long  will  carry  all  that  pack,  for  it 
is  far  from  bulky.  We'll  bevel  the  nose  of  the  plank, 
shoe  it  each  side  and  in  the  middle  with  poles  of  a 
natural  crook,  and  put  gunwales  on  the  top  of  the 
same  kind;  strong  cross-pieces  will  keep  it  from 
splitting  or  spreading,  and  these  on  top  at  intervals 
will  keep  stuff  from  sliding  off.  We  can  make  up 
our  five  packs,  straps  and  all,  put  them  on  this  sledge, 
and  from  it  run  the  big  inch  rope  with  two  cross- 
bars and  a  pair  of  straps  ahead  for  those  pretty  little 
shoulders  of  Elias.  We'll  have  a  pair  of  ropes,  one 
at  each  rear  corner,  and  down  grade  two  of  us  on 
each  rope  can  keep  it  from  scooting  onto  Elias.  Up 
out  of  this  treeless  valley,  over  into  the  next,  and 
the  next  and  clear  to  the  top  of  the  big  pass,  we  will 
have  nothing  but  clear  sailing.  Down  from  the  pass 
we  will  be  able  to  make  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles 
without  packing.  That  means  forty  miles  of  the 
journey.  Then  we  will  have  thirty  to  forty  miles 
of  such  rough  climbing  along  the  canons  of  the  Big 
River  that  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  pack,  but  by 
that  time  we  will  have  our  grub  reduced,  be  near 
enough  home  to  throw  away  or  cache  every  extra 
pound  possible;   and.  I   am   sure   we   can   reach  the 


3S2        REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

sound  within  a  week — that  is.  if  the  snow  has  gone 
down  as  fast  as  you  fellows  report. ' ' 

This  plan  struck  all  as  a  good  one,  and  Perry  and 
Uncle  Festus,  who  were  very  handy  with  tools  of 
any  kind,  soon  had  the  plank  out,  while  Elias  was 
hunting  for  natural  crooks.  In  twenty-four  hours 
the  sledge  was  finished  and  all  was  ready  for  the 
start.  Rex  had  calculated  on  a  grand  hunt  when 
the  others  came,  but  he  was  now  too  anxious  to  get 
home  to  think  of  that.  The  others,  while  tempted, 
realized  the  magnitude  of  the  task  before  them, 
dreaded  a  change  of  weather,  which  might  bring  an 
impassable  snow  at  any  season,  and  so,  early  on  the 
morning  of  May  29th  they  set  out.  They  made 
good  time  over  the  smooth  grass  of  the  valleys,  and 
by  a  little  care  got  over  the  first  two  passes  without 
a  carry.  They  took  the  mutilated  chests  as  far  as 
the  Bottomless  Pit  and  threw  them  in  in  order  to 
hide  all  traces  of  their  find.  The  sledge  stood  the 
wear  well,  becoming  smooth  and  sliding  more  easily 
than  at  the  start.  At  every  stop  that  was  made  they 
smeared  the  runners  liberally  with  marmot  grease. 
That  night  they  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  ridge 
which  the  grand  pass  cuts  over  opposite  Mount 
Olympus,  and  were  not  particularly  fagged,  though 
they  had  come  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  miles. 

The  next  morning  at  ten  o'clock  they  had  reached 
the  pass,  but  were  more  nearly  worn  out  by  their 
five  hours'  work  than  they  had  been  by  their  four- 
teen hours  of  the  day  before.  However,  they  were 
cheered  by  the  thought  that  while  they  had  now 
great  dangers  to  encounter,  they  would  not  have  as 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  383 

hard  pulling  for  the  next  few  hours,  and  might  be  able 
to  reach  Camp  Seven  by  that  night.  It  was  cloudy 
when  they  went  through  the  pass.  So  much  so 
that  they  could  not  see  the  sound  country.  Indeed, 
the  clouds  were  driving  through  the  pass  like  thick 
fog,  and  at  one  time  they  feared  they  must  camp 
down  in  the  deep  snow  and  await  a  clear  day. 
However,  the  crust  being  hard  and  there  being  no 
slides,  they  toiled  carefully  down.  At  noon  they 
were  some  three  miles  from  the  sky  line,  as  nearly 
as  they  could  judge,  although  they  could  not  see  on 
account  of  the  clouds  above,  which  had  rolled  up  yet 
thicker.  Every  man  was  on  his  mettle  now,  and 
with  extreme  care  they  worked  their  way  down 
over  the  crust  through  that  rocky  defile. 

On  every  hand  strange  mosses,  rocks,  and  pieces 
of  quartz  and  float  tempted  them,  but  they  set  their 
faces  resolutely  forward  and  toiled  on,  well  know- 
ing that  to  tarry  was  to  run  the  risk  of  a  snow-slide 
that  might  bury  them  and  their  treasure  for  years, 
if  not  forever  from  sight.  They  found  far  less 
snow  than  was  to  be  seen  a  month  before,  and  at 
seven  o'clock,  when  tired  and  fagged  out  they 
reached  Camp  Seven,  they  found  only  about  four 
feet  of  snow  in  the  vicinity.  That  night  they  slept 
soundly,  "all  cuddled  together  like  a  passle  o'  pups," 
as  Uncle  Festus  said,  in  that  log  box.  The  next 
morning  the  skies  were  yet  overcast  as  if  threatening 
snow,  but  none  fell,  and  during  that  third  day  they 
made  nine  or  ten  miles  over  even  that  rough 
country;  encamping  at  night  some  distance  above 
the  junction  of  the  Third  Branch. 


3^4  REX  WAYLANDS  FORTUNE 

The  fourth  day  was  the  worst  of  all,  and  one  never 
to  be  forgotten  by  any  of  them.  They  packed  and 
drew  the  sledge  by  turns,  doubling  their  trail  across 
the  face  of  precipices  and  over  logs  spanning  that 
roaring,  angry  river,  which  now,  swelled  by  the 
spring  thaws,  was  really  terrible.  In  a  hundred 
places  that  day  a  slip  of  the  foot  would  have  meant 
instant  death  to  one  or  two  men  and  the  loss  of 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  dollars  of  treasure. 
The  fifth  day  brought  them  below  the  snow  line  and 
within  fifteen  miles  of  tide  water,  but  with  the 
original  sledge  and  a  successor  worn  out,  and  every 
man  in  such  condition  that  packing  was  almost  out 
of  the  question.  Elias  reduced  the  weight  of  his 
pack  at  this  point  very  materially  by  consenting  to 
leave  the  elk  horns  for  a  second  trip,  and  all  reduced 
their  burden  of  treasure  by  dividing-up  with  him. 
The  reduction  of  food  and  the  leaving  of  the  elk 
horns  reduced  the  weight  of  the  packs  to  an  aggre- 
gate of  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  that 
afternoon  at  four  o'clock  Rex  hung  up  his  bear- 
hide  in  a  compact  bundle,  bringing  the  weight  down 
to  about  six  hundred  pounds.  At  dark  that  night 
they  reached  the  foot  of  the  last  mountain  and 
encamped  on  the  Big  River  where  it  bursts  out  of 
its  curved  canon,  five  miles  from  the  coast  at  Jack- 
son's cove. 

It  was  not  until  three  o'clock  the  next  afternoon, 
however,  that  they  reached  the  beach  and  encamped 
beside  the  little  run  near  the  abandoned  school - 
house,  built  there  in  the  daysof  the  "boom."  They 
we*'e  now  completely  worn  out,    with    dark  circles 


AND  NOW  FOR  THE  COAST  383 

under  glassy  eyes  and  faces  of  a  pasty  hue,  showing 
even  through  the  grime  of  travel.  Strange  to  relate, 
Uncle  Festus  and  Perry  stood  the  trip  best  of  all  in 
ct)poar^,nce,  and  the  old  man  really  had  the  strength 
Ik  c&ck  up  liis  looks.  Elias  was  as  nearly  dead  as 
a  iiian  can  he  and  still  move,  and  at  intervals,  as  he 
staggered  along  the  trail,  he  silently  wept  like  a 
grieved  bu'c  shamefaced  child.  It  is,  indeed,  strange 
how  men  will  act  under  such  a  strain.  Some  will 
whimper  and  whine  from  the  first,  but  stand  hard- 
ship longer  than  those  who  mutely  and  bravely  bear 
tne  trials,  to  collapse  in  a  heap  when  endurance  is 
finally  broken.  Rex  was  of  the  latter  stamp,  and 
was  lielpless,  or  nearly  so,  when  they  reached  the 
oeach.  But  when  it  is  remembered  that  he  was  but 
nineteen  years  of  age,  weighed  only  one  hundred 
ar?d  forty  pounds  and  had  packed  for  days  over  that 
awful  trail  nearly  his  own  weight,  this  can  hardly 
be  wondered  at. 

It  is  four  miles  up  along  shore  to  Brinnon,  but 
Uncle  Festus  and  Perry  went  up  together  to  hire  a 
fug  boat  there  for  the  j ourney  across.  They  returne  d 
at  nine  p.m.,  and  were  allowed  to  sleep  until  five 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  although  Elias,  Rex  and 
Peroux,  who  had  slept  all  the  evening  before,  arose 
at  two  o'clock,  cooked  breakfast  and  loaded  the  boat 
for  the  trip  of  twelve  miles  across. 


CHAPTER   XLI 

A    MOTHER'S     ANXIETY HOME     AT      LAST DIVISION     OF 

THE  SPANISH    TREASURE 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
Mrs.  Wayland,  worn  out  by  sleepless  nights  and 
anxiety,  felt  that  she  could  contain  herself  no 
longer  if  she  remained  in  the  camp.  She  deter- 
mined to  go  out  to  the  headland  at  the  north 
entrance  of  the  bay  and  look  across  that  wide 
stretch  of  water.  Following  the  beach  and  hurry- 
ing along,  with  weak  limbs  and  aching  heart,  she 
had  nearly  reached  the  point,  when  her  fortitude 
forsook  her  and  she  felt  as  if  she  must  turn  back. 
What  if  she  should  look  out  around  that  point  and 
see  four  men  in  a  boat  rowing  across  with  the 
body  of  a  fifth?  How  could  she  bear  such  a  sight? 
In  her  morbid  condition  she  now  saw  the  mangled 
remains  of  her  son  and  suffered  worse  pangs  from 
her  imagination  there  and  then  than  a  more 
phlegmatic  temperament  would  have  suffered  facing 
the  cruel  reality.  She  sank  down  beside  a  log  that 
the  waves  had  thrown  up,  and,  not  daring  to  go  to 
the  point  and  look  out,  prayed  for  strength  and  faith. 
Even  as  she  prayed,  the  sound  of  rowlocks  fell  on 
her  ears,  and  looking  out  she  beheld  a  boat  rounding 
the  point  not  five  hundred  feet  away,  with  Rex,  her 
precious,  manly  son,  standing  straight  up,  pushing 
lustily  at  an  oar   and   looking   eagerly   across   the 

386 


A  MOTHER'S  ANXIETY  387 

water  toward  the  camp.  Even  at  that  distance  she 
could  see  love  shining  in  his  eyes.  The  excess  of 
joy  was  too  great.  She  could  not  at  first  move,  but 
felt  that  she  must.  With  one  long  indrawing  breath 
which  sounded  like  a  sob,  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and 
ran  toward  the  beach.  They  did  not  see  her.  She 
must  scream  or  they  would  not  stop.  She  did  call 
faintly,  and  with  this  last  effort  of  consciousness, 
fell  limply  into  the  water.  When  she  came  to  herself 
again,  it  was  to  find  strong  but  wet  arms  about  her 
and  kisses  and  tears  showering  on  her  face.  For  an 
instant  she  sobbed,  but  then,  with  a  sudden  straight- 
ening of  her  nervy  little  frame,  exclaimed:  "Well! 
Well !  What  a  fool  I  am  making  of  myself  before 
all  these  men !  Rex,  put  me  into  that  boat.  Come 
right  across  to  camp  now  and  I'll  have  something 
ready  for  you  men  to  eat  in  just  a  few  minutes. " 

She  settled  herself  down  in  the  boat  quite  primly, 
but  as  she  looked  up  and  beheld  the  fond  eyes  of  her 
son,  noted  the  dark  circles  under  them,  the  haggard 
cheeks  and  thin  hands,  she  commenced  sobbing 
again,  and  in  a  breath  had  him  in  her  arms.  At  this 
second  outburst  Uncle  Festus  broke  down  too  and 
began  drying  his  eyes  on  his  shirt  sleeve,  forgetting 
to  row.  Perry  was  blowing  his  nose  vigorously  and 
shoving  his  oar  edgewise  through  the  water.  Big 
Elias,  the  tears  streaming  from  both  eyes,  was 
rowing  lustily  and  turning  the  boat  round  and  round 
in  a  circle  without  seeming  to  know  it.  Peroux,  his 
square  jaw  set  like  a  vise,  shed  no  tears,  but  his  lips 
trembled  and  he  looked  as  if  he  must  break  down, 
soon.. 


MRS»  WAYLAND  MEETS  THE  TREASURE  BEARERS. 


A  MOTHER'S  ANXIETY  389 

"Durned  if  I  don't  feel  like  huggin'  ye  myself," 
almost  blubbered  big  Elias,  whereat  all  laughed  and 
i\iio.  wayland,  understanding  him,  even  while 
blushing  furiously  reached  over  and  planted  a  bird- 
li'ke,  motherly  little  kiss  on  his  cheek.  He  looked 
as  if  he  were  going  to  faint  for  a  second,  and  then 
his  face  grew  very  red  and  he  rowed  more  furiously 
than  ever.  Peroux  and  Uncle  Festus  on  the  oppo- 
site side  were  convulsed  with  laughter;  but  seeinfe 
that  he  was  annoyed  by  this,  they  caught  his  stroke:, 
and  the  boat  was  soon  at  the  raft.  Their  arrival 
created  but  little  stir,  the  men  being  all  away  in  the 
woods  at  work,  and  within  a  few  minutes  Rex  had 
every  brick,  sack  and  nugget  in  the  big  safe.  Then 
calling  all  into  the  office,  he  began : 

"Uncle  Festus,  may  I  settle  with  these  men?" 
Uncle  Festus  nodded,  and  Rex  asked:  "Elias,  when 
did  we  start  out?  How  many  days  has  it  been  since 
we  left  here?" 

Elias  not  answering  quickly,  Uncle  Festus  an- 
swered for  him :  ' '  Thirty-nine. ' ' 

4 '  All  right.  Five  times  thirty-nine  are  one  hundred 
and  ninety-five.  That's  one  hundred  and  ninety-five 
ounces  of  gold  you're  to  have." 

Elias'  jaw  fell  wide  open,  and  as  he  slowly  drew 
it  into  speaking  shape  again  he  blurted  out:  "Do 
you  know  that  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  ounces 
o'  gold  is  wuth  more'n  $3,000?     I  won't  take  it." 

"Yes,  you  will  take  it.  You're  going  to  take  it  if 
I  have  to  pack  it  out  to  that  boat  of  yours  myself. 
More  than  that,  you  and  all  of  you  have  my  ever- 
lasting gratitude.     Peroux  and  Perry,  you've  beea 


390  REX  WAYLAND'S  FORTUNE 

out  thirteen  days,  I  believe.  Five  times  thirteen  are 
sixty-five.  Will  sixty-five  ounces  each  be  satisfactory 
to  you?" 

Both  protested  that  sixty-five  ounces  was  too  much 
for  less  than  half  a  month's  work,  but  Rex  was  firm, 
and  when  Elias'  $3,150  had  been  weighed  out  they 
took  nearly  $1,100  each.  The  only  return  Rex 
exacted  was  secrecy,  and  three  happy  men  departed 
the  next  morning  as  well  as  three  who  would  not 
spread  idle  stories.  Rex  and  Uncle  Festus  now 
began  weighing  up  their  treasure  and  -found  that 
there  was  left  4,380  ounces  of  gold,  worth  at  that 
time  $16.10  per  ounce,  and  2,743  ounces  of  silver, 
worth  fifty-nine  cents  an  ounce.  This  brought  the 
value  of  their  find,  after  deducting  all  expenses,  to 

$72,136.37- 

"Of  that  I  want  you  to  take  one-half,  Uncle  Fes- 
tus," said  Rex,  as  soon  as  they  had  ceased  figuring. 
The  old  man  shook  his  head  and  laughed. 

"Ye  ain't  got  any  hired  hand  to  deal  with  this 
time,  my  boy.  I'll  take  jest  what  I  darn  please, 
an'  I  won't  take  any  more. "  Rex  opened  his  mouth 
to  expostulate  and  began  telling  the  old  man  how 
much  he  had  done  for  them,  winding  up  with: 
"Why,  you  went  into  business  just  to  give  mother 
and  me  a  livelihood."  The  old  man  cut  him 
short  and  went  on:  "Yes;  I  did  partly  fer  that,  but 
by  your  management  an'  her'n,  it  all  turned  inter 
big  profit.  I  won't  take  any  half,  I  tell  ye,  so  ye 
may  as  well  save  yer  wind,  but  if  you  an'  she'ii 
take  one  third  each,  I'll  take  t'other  third  an''  go 
right  over  to  Seattle  ter-morrow  an'  have  celiac 


A  MOTHER'S  ANXIETY  39* 

Frank  Lewis  draw  me  a  will  what '11  give  ye  my  hull 
estate  when  I  die,  fer  I  swar,  it  begins  ter  look  as  if 
I'd  hev  an  estate." 

"If  we'll  agree  to  such  a  division,  will  you  agree 
to  always  make  your  home  with  us  and  be  uncle  to 
both?" 

"Yes;  I'll  be  uncle  to  both  on  ye  all  the  rest  o' 
my  days,  pervidin' you,  my  boy,  will  quit  this  camp 
an'  go  back  to  school  so  I  won't  be  ashamed  on  ye. " 

"He  will,"  promised  Mrs.  Wayland,  decisively. 

"Ye  see,  if  I  got  ter  be  uncle  to  anybody,  I'd 
ruther  be  related  to  a  lawyer,  a  doctor  or  a  minis- 
ter,"  continued  Uncle  Festus  in  mock  apology. 

"Well,  it's  a  bargain,  Uncle.  I'll  have  a  try  at 
Washington  University  this  fall,  and  if  I've  brains 
enough  I'll  make  you  both  proud  of  me  yet." 

"We're  that  now,"  said  Mrs.  Wayland  in  a  low 
voice,  and  through  her  tears  of  happiness  shone  a 
mother  love  more  precious  than  gold  or  silver. 


THE    END 


